What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill, Vermont. But this morning that will change. And one innocent question could be deadly. What have you done?

The teenagers get their kicks telling ghost stories in the old graveyard. The parents trust their kids will arrive home safe from school. Everyone knows everyone. Curtains rarely twitch. Front doors are left unlocked.

But Diana Brewer isn’t lying safely in her bed where she belongs. Instead she lies in a hayfield, circled by vultures, discovered by a local farmer.

How quickly a girl becomes a ghost. How quickly a town of friendly, familiar faces becomes a town of suspects, a place of fear and paranoia.

Someone in Fairhill did this. Everyone wants answers.

Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Published July 30th 2024

 by Pamela Dorman Books

5/5 stars

They say nothing happens in this little sleepy town in Vermont, but the discovery of Diana Brewer's body changes everything. This book grabbed me right from the beginning.  It was the discovery of the local teen's brutal murder.

Told from a number of different points of view, including Diana’s voice from the grave (it was a neat addition). It doesn’t take long to know this is a town full of secrets and many suspects. This was a addictive read, being familiar with Shari Lapena I knew this would be tension filled, intricately written with twists and turns to keep me on my toes.  I managed to read it in a couple of days.

What Have You Done? is a story with many layers, it is a story of grief - for Diane’s parents, her friends and a town struggling for closure. It is a story of suspicion with finger pointing and it is a story with many trigger warnings, but alas, to lay them out would be along the lines of a spoiler.

Suffice to say if you are looking for a fast paced, captivating read then grab this one.

My thanks to Random House CA (via Netgalley) for a digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.