Only She Came Back by Margot Harrison

Only She Came Back was written by Margot Harrison and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on November 14, 2023.

Publisher's summary:

A chilling thriller about an unlikely friendship between a true-crime fan and a former high school classmate suspected of murdering her influencer boyfriend, perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Courtney Summers.

On July 28 at 6:30 p.m., Kiri Dunsmore walks out of the desert wearing her boyfriend's sweatshirt, covered in his blood.  Dazed and on the verge of unconsciousness, she tells a cashier that he's still out there and most likely dead.  The disappearance of Callum Massey, a "survival guru" with hundreds of thousands of YouTube followers, rocks the nation.  And Kiri is a prime suspect.

Back in Kiri's hometown, true-crime fanatic Sam is completely hooked on the case—especially now that she recognizes the suspect as shy Katie from high school.  Although they didn't know each other well, that doesn't stop Sam from reaching out to befriend her old classmate.

But when Kiri starts to confide in her, Sam realizes there's more to the story than she had imagined.  Can she keep Kiri's secrets even though revealing them could put her where she's always longed to be—at the center of the story? 

The premise intrigued me.  The public is fascinated with true-crime stories, particularly when the case is unsolved.  This book offers up an unsolved case.  Callum Massey is missing.  He might or might not be dead.  His girlfriend Kiri might have done something to him, but perhaps she's innocent.  What's certain is that the reader doesn't know the whole story and that the mystery will gradually unfold as the book is read. 

The protagonist, Sam, is obsessed with true-crime stories.  When she befriends Kiri, she finds herself in a questionable role.  Should she be a real friend to Kiri, or should she post what she knows online?  In the end, Sam finds herself enmeshed in the case, resulting in dangerous consequences.

After the end of the story, the author, Margot Harrison, opens her acknowledgments with the following passage:

True crime is a fraught subject, for good reason—one that has always made me feel fascinated and queasy in equal measures.  I want to thank everyone who helped me navigate the quandaries of exploring our culture's fascination with murder stories in Only She Came Back.

This book has some strong similarity to the Gabby Petito case, and I felt a strong sense of déjà vu during the opening chapters of the story. 

The online reviews are lukewarm, with most readers giving the book 3 stars.  Many reviewers complain about the similarities to Gabby Petito. 

I don't use a number rating system, but I would probably go with 3-3.5 stars for this book.  Using my own description system, I will go with a rating of good to very good.  I enjoyed reading the book, even though some parts are a bit weak.