As absorbing as the first Werlin I read, [b:The Rules of Survival|110535|The Rules of Survival|Nancy Werlin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171642114s/110535.jpg|3495482], though less gripping (if that makes sense), this y/a concerns two teen deaths and the nature and meaning(s) of guilt. I thought I had one of the "true stories" pegged and was waiting to be disappointed by being right, but the ending was far more interesting and meaningful than what I had in mind. You could argue that Werlin leaves certain points hanging, but I'd acutally say she is good about not force-feeding her readers what she wants them to take away from her works; she lets you glean from the characters enough to profile them yourself rather than summarizing it for you.

I love Nancy Werlin - this book is so creepy but so excellent.

This was a huge disappointment from Nancy Werlin. I'm a big fan of Double Helix, and this book just couldn't compare. I was also severely let down by a certain turn in the story that I thought was extremely boring- albeit possibly more realistic.

So far I have read Werlin's Rules of Survival-didn't like-and Extraordinary--really loved. This was in the middle. Unfortunately, the Xfiles and internet references date the book a bit, but it is still a solid ghost story/thriller/mystery. I wish some of the characters, including David, would have been more completely drawn, but overall a good read.

A not-so-mysterious mystery.

This has sat on my shelves for some years now and I’m not even sure where it came from. I have a vague recollection of picking up free with a selection of other books being given away. I fancied something brief and this fit the bill.

It’s a very quick read, partly the length, partly the writing. The set up is initially intriguing, the supporting cast are nicely portrayed and some of the relationships are satisfyingly complex. I just couldn’t get on with the voice of David - it all felt a little overwrought and melodramatic. That’s probably harsh given it’s about a young adult who is struggling to move on from accidentally killing someone. But there you have it.

The tension builds but the central conceit was fairly obvious and the ending just fizzled (even if it gamely tried to provide an answer for how you move on following something so devastating), while the ‘haunting’ aspects never really worked. Also, is store card swapping actually a thing?

Not bad by any means, just not really for me.

Started this and thought it would be a "bad seed" story. I was pleasantly surprised to find it be much more.

Loved it!

3 1/2 stars. I enjoyed The Killer's Cousin quite a bit. It was a very quick read. I think the author did a great job of creating tension between characters that you could actually feel. Lilly was a creepy kid and although I figured out her secret right away it didn't spoil the book for me. The character of David was well done. I empathized with him. I probably would have given this 4 stars if not for the telepathic type link he suddenly develops with his cousin near the end of the book. Where did that even come from?