They Never Learn – Layne Fargo

Title: They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
Publishing Info: October 13, 202 by Simon & Schuster
Source: Audiobook borrowed from library
Genres: Adult, Mystery/Thriller
Date Completed: August 7, 2022
Find it on the web: Buy from Amazon // Goodreads

Scarlett Clark is an exceptional English professor. But she’s even better at getting away with murder.

Every year, she searches for the worst man at Gorman University and plots his well-deserved demise. Thanks to her meticulous planning, she’s avoided drawing attention to herself—but as she’s preparing for her biggest kill yet, the school starts probing into the growing body count on campus. Determined to keep her enemies close, Scarlett insinuates herself into the investigation and charms the woman in charge, Dr. Mina Pierce. Everything’s going according to her master plan… until she loses control with her latest victim, putting her secret life at risk of exposure.

Meanwhile, Gorman student Carly Schiller is just trying to survive her freshman year. Finally free of her emotionally abusive father, all Carly wants is to focus on her studies and fade into the background. Her new roommate has other ideas. Allison Hadley is cool and confident—everything Carly wishes she could be—and the two girls quickly form an intense friendship. So when Allison is sexually assaulted at a party, Carly becomes obsessed with making the attacker pay... and turning her fantasies about revenge into a reality.

BOOK REVIEW

This was an enjoyable, solid read but still not the 5 star book everyone said it was. There was a good little twist in the middle that I had figured out about a chapter before it was revealed and I was happy to see some things spun around in the book instead of holding it all until the end, especially in the cases where you figure out the twist and then have to spend the rest of knowing you already know how it ends. It allowed for some satisfaction to see that one part revealed and then see how it plays out the rest of the way.

Honestly though, the ending wasn’t that great for me. It was slightly satisfying but felt a little unrealistic and I just didn’t really enjoy it. I think it was a little more revenge fantasy and it just didn’t quite fall into place for my personal tastes. I think I would have preferred a bit more suspense and tension to play out towards the second half because things kind of dissipated a little quickly and despite it not being a happy ending, it was maybe a little too neat for me.