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duchessofreadin's review
5.0
Gregg Olsen does it again! I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series, and the second didn't disappoint either. He is a master storyteller, with the knack of bringing the scenes to life, and making you feel as though you are a part of it.
I look forward to more in this series!
I look forward to more in this series!
sarahannkateri's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
When foreign exchange student Olivia is murdered during a Halloween party, everyone from psychic twins Haley and Taylor Ryan to Police Chief Annie Garnett tries to find out who the killer is.
I thought it was pretty apparent that this author usually writes for adults. Teen pop-culture references and slang were somewhat shoehorned into the story, and there was a creepy preoccupation with thongs. I found myself wondering why the author used mostly female POVs, as many of them seemed a bit 'off,' but once I accepted the over-the-top stylistic choices, I found this to be an engaging mystery. The larger-than-life characters were interesting, the mystery wasn't too obvious, and there were some funny moments - although if I'm being honest, I am not sure they were all meant to be funny...
Teen girls who like SVU or detective stories will probably like this series, and the slight paranormal edge might interest those with a taste for the fantastical. The audiobook version was well-done, so this would also be a good choice for people who want something to listen to. There's not any explicit sex and only a little profanity, but there are definite mature themes and a lot of violence, making this one for the older teen crowd.
When foreign exchange student Olivia is murdered during a Halloween party, everyone from psychic twins Haley and Taylor Ryan to Police Chief Annie Garnett tries to find out who the killer is.
I thought it was pretty apparent that this author usually writes for adults. Teen pop-culture references and slang were somewhat shoehorned into the story, and there was a creepy preoccupation with thongs. I found myself wondering why the author used mostly female POVs, as many of them seemed a bit 'off,' but once I accepted the over-the-top stylistic choices, I found this to be an engaging mystery. The larger-than-life characters were interesting, the mystery wasn't too obvious, and there were some funny moments - although if I'm being honest, I am not sure they were all meant to be funny...
Teen girls who like SVU or detective stories will probably like this series, and the slight paranormal edge might interest those with a taste for the fantastical. The audiobook version was well-done, so this would also be a good choice for people who want something to listen to. There's not any explicit sex and only a little profanity, but there are definite mature themes and a lot of violence, making this one for the older teen crowd.
kricketa's review against another edition
2.0
we return to port gamble, washington, where identical twins hayley & taylor ryan use their paranormal powers to solve murders. when british exchange student olivia grant is found stabbed to death after a halloween party, port gamble isn't sure who to blame.
this series is totally ridiculous- poorly written and over-the-top- but at the same time? kind of fun. this installment was loosely based on the amanda knox case.
this series is totally ridiculous- poorly written and over-the-top- but at the same time? kind of fun. this installment was loosely based on the amanda knox case.
gardenrose's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, I mean this Empty Coffin duology isn't perfect but it really is interesting and entertaining.
Betrayal is based on the Amanda Knox case. Foreign exchange student Olivia is at Port Gamble staying with Beth Lee. They both get along and Olivia even gets along with the two twins, Hayley and Taylor. Now, Hayley and Taylor have before found out the an answers to the crime committed in [b:Envy|10586317|Envy (Empty Coffin, #1)|Gregg Olsen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1304984025s/10586317.jpg|15493643] and the beginning of the book, they start getting weird feelings just like they did with the other crime. But before, Olivia Grant is killed at her new best friend, Brianna Connor's house. Everyone is confused, but the most unusual and strange thing is Brianna almost is annoyed with her friend Olivia's death and why wasn't her boyfriend helping her when she phoned in the murder? Is there more to the murder? Hell yes there is. Read Betrayal to see the journey of Hayley and Taylor trying to figure out who killed Olivia Grant and more information about them and their mother. Also while following Brianna and Drew's journey of being the prime suspect in Olivia's murder. With many turns of events, Betrayal will have you thinking you know the answer but then betrays you and twists the whole story.
I give the book more a 3.5/4 because there was no setting development and it was missing a lot of components to make it a little better. I mean, it's fast paced, every chapter has you guessing and it isn't long but there's no background or development in the book. Even in Envy there isn't. It is entertaining tho and perfect for the October month. Make sure to read Envy first tho s you aren't too lost with the Starla and her mom situation.
Betrayal is based on the Amanda Knox case. Foreign exchange student Olivia is at Port Gamble staying with Beth Lee. They both get along and Olivia even gets along with the two twins, Hayley and Taylor. Now, Hayley and Taylor have before found out the an answers to the crime committed in [b:Envy|10586317|Envy (Empty Coffin, #1)|Gregg Olsen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1304984025s/10586317.jpg|15493643] and the beginning of the book, they start getting weird feelings just like they did with the other crime. But before, Olivia Grant is killed at her new best friend, Brianna Connor's house. Everyone is confused, but the most unusual and strange thing is Brianna almost is annoyed with her friend Olivia's death and why wasn't her boyfriend helping her when she phoned in the murder? Is there more to the murder? Hell yes there is. Read Betrayal to see the journey of Hayley and Taylor trying to figure out who killed Olivia Grant and more information about them and their mother. Also while following Brianna and Drew's journey of being the prime suspect in Olivia's murder. With many turns of events, Betrayal will have you thinking you know the answer but then betrays you and twists the whole story.
I give the book more a 3.5/4 because there was no setting development and it was missing a lot of components to make it a little better. I mean, it's fast paced, every chapter has you guessing and it isn't long but there's no background or development in the book. Even in Envy there isn't. It is entertaining tho and perfect for the October month. Make sure to read Envy first tho s you aren't too lost with the Starla and her mom situation.
lazygal's review against another edition
1.0
A DNF - while the plot was interesting, the writing was getting to me and I gave up after the "banana bread loaf-sized muffin top" jiggling in the "skinny jeans [that] only work if you're actually skinny". The author needs to cut back the adjectives and extraneous descriptive phrases by about 2/3 and beef up the rest of the plot.
Which, as I said, did look interesting: a British exchange student, Olivia, is violently murdered at a Hallowe'en party. The hostess, Bree, is rich, self-involved and overly indulged; and the homestay hostess, Beth, and Olivia had an argument before the party. Or possibly this death had something to do with the death (in a previous book) of Katelyn.
Thanks to the writing style, I'll never know. Perhaps those less bothered by it will enjoy this.
ARC provided by publisher.
Which, as I said, did look interesting: a British exchange student, Olivia, is violently murdered at a Hallowe'en party. The hostess, Bree, is rich, self-involved and overly indulged; and the homestay hostess, Beth, and Olivia had an argument before the party. Or possibly this death had something to do with the death (in a previous book) of Katelyn.
Thanks to the writing style, I'll never know. Perhaps those less bothered by it will enjoy this.
ARC provided by publisher.
imzadirose's review against another edition
3.0
These books are weird for me. The characters, except Hayley & Taylor, are completely annoying. More so in this one than the first, but still tons of annoying unlikable characters in both. This one didn't seem as much about HayTay as the 1st one did, there was so much else going on. Still, it kept my interest. I like Hayley and Taylor and I like learning about them, the rest of the people I could do without. If there's another one, I really hope that there's less annoying people.
samlo28's review against another edition
3.0
Betrayal is the second book in the Empty Coffin series and it was better than Envy in almost every way.
The characters, which were mostly the same as the first book, were so much more relatable. Their relationships seemed more believable and their insecurities helped them seem like real people. Plus, we finally got to learn more about the history of Port Gamble through the bus accident so there was less mystery surrounding the residents. That being said, every characters' use of social media seemed stupid. There were tweets about a dead girl ruining a party while asking for a retweet in the same post and a distasteful trending hashtag. I understand that social media is huge with 16-18 year olds, but I have never in my life read something so ridiculous posted by children (and that's saying something). Honestly, this shouldn't have been a big deal, but the author has twins around the same age as Haley and Taylor so this could have been something that was quickly fact-checked.
As for the mystery itself, it wasn't necessarily more complex than the mystery in the first book, but it was more intriguing. Although I was able to guess who committed the crime pretty quickly, there was a lot of mystery surrounding the motive. I also appreciated how the police seemed more present throughout this book. In the first novel it seemed like the police were barely mentioned because Haley and Taylor were investigating, but in this one the police finally had a presence.
After finishing the first novel, I didn't feel satisfied with the ending. It seemed like there was too much that remained unexplained, but after finishing this novel, I felt much more satisfied. A lot of the mystery surrounding Hayley, Taylor and her family was finally explained, but enough went unexplained to warrant another book. Even though this book was superior to it's predecessor, it never got to the point of being amazing.
The characters, which were mostly the same as the first book, were so much more relatable. Their relationships seemed more believable and their insecurities helped them seem like real people. Plus, we finally got to learn more about the history of Port Gamble through the bus accident so there was less mystery surrounding the residents. That being said, every characters' use of social media seemed stupid. There were tweets about a dead girl ruining a party while asking for a retweet in the same post and a distasteful trending hashtag. I understand that social media is huge with 16-18 year olds, but I have never in my life read something so ridiculous posted by children (and that's saying something). Honestly, this shouldn't have been a big deal, but the author has twins around the same age as Haley and Taylor so this could have been something that was quickly fact-checked.
As for the mystery itself, it wasn't necessarily more complex than the mystery in the first book, but it was more intriguing. Although I was able to guess who committed the crime pretty quickly, there was a lot of mystery surrounding the motive. I also appreciated how the police seemed more present throughout this book. In the first novel it seemed like the police were barely mentioned because Haley and Taylor were investigating, but in this one the police finally had a presence.
After finishing the first novel, I didn't feel satisfied with the ending. It seemed like there was too much that remained unexplained, but after finishing this novel, I felt much more satisfied. A lot of the mystery surrounding Hayley, Taylor and her family was finally explained, but enough went unexplained to warrant another book. Even though this book was superior to it's predecessor, it never got to the point of being amazing.
azuram88's review against another edition
5.0
OMG, the beginning of the book was so bone chillingly awesome that I have no other words to describe it! Just being a foreign exchange student is scary enough. But for Olivia Grant, it was more than scary, it was deadly. As the investigation goes on, twins, Hayley and Taylor Ryan find out some secrets about themselves that their parents have been keeping since the tragic bus accident. Later we soon find out that the suspects in Olivia's murder have disappeared, without a trace, and there's more to the puzzle that needs to be discovered.
Betrayal kept me on the edge of my seat and gave me chills throughout. I loved it!
Betrayal kept me on the edge of my seat and gave me chills throughout. I loved it!
eviebookish's review against another edition
5.0
Amazeballs!!!!Loved it even more than the first book!!!
kkecreads's review
5.0
Published: February 2, 2021
Bookouture
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Gregg Olsen is a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington, with his wife, twin daughters, three chickens, Milo (an obedience school dropout cocker spaniel), and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).
“All it had taken was the sharp edge of a knife.”
Hayley and Taylor are front and center of another tragedy in their small town when a foreign exchange student is brutally murdered during a Halloween party. The sisters were at the party, with their best friend Beth, and they knew the girl who was killed. They also know there is more to the story and are determined to get to the bottom of it no matter what. Except for this time, they may be too close to the case, and this case may be their last.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The storyline was quick, fresh, and spooky. I love this little town and the residents we meet. I also really enjoy the Ryan twins are such dynamic and bold characters.
I liked that this book tied into Beneath her Skin but was also completely independent as far as the plot went. I also enjoy that there are still plot points that haven’t been answered yet, hopefully, another book.
The pacing is faster in this book than in the first book. But the story is equally fantastic, and the characters get even more in depth, and we discover more about what makes them tick.
This book starts with a serious bang and doesn’t let up until the very end. The plot is so fast-paced and intense, and it is almost impossible to put down. I found myself reading at such a rapid pace because I had to find out the truth.
There are some twists in this book that you will never see coming. The first big twist left me staring and the same sentence with my mouth agape. I am so happy I was approved for this book, and I think thriller readers will enjoy the dynamic world Gregg Olsen has brought to life.
Bookouture
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Gregg Olsen is a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington, with his wife, twin daughters, three chickens, Milo (an obedience school dropout cocker spaniel), and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).
“All it had taken was the sharp edge of a knife.”
Hayley and Taylor are front and center of another tragedy in their small town when a foreign exchange student is brutally murdered during a Halloween party. The sisters were at the party, with their best friend Beth, and they knew the girl who was killed. They also know there is more to the story and are determined to get to the bottom of it no matter what. Except for this time, they may be too close to the case, and this case may be their last.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The storyline was quick, fresh, and spooky. I love this little town and the residents we meet. I also really enjoy the Ryan twins are such dynamic and bold characters.
I liked that this book tied into Beneath her Skin but was also completely independent as far as the plot went. I also enjoy that there are still plot points that haven’t been answered yet, hopefully, another book.
The pacing is faster in this book than in the first book. But the story is equally fantastic, and the characters get even more in depth, and we discover more about what makes them tick.
This book starts with a serious bang and doesn’t let up until the very end. The plot is so fast-paced and intense, and it is almost impossible to put down. I found myself reading at such a rapid pace because I had to find out the truth.
There are some twists in this book that you will never see coming. The first big twist left me staring and the same sentence with my mouth agape. I am so happy I was approved for this book, and I think thriller readers will enjoy the dynamic world Gregg Olsen has brought to life.