I want to start by saying how much I loved Rick Mofina’s other book - SOMEONE SAW SOMETHING. I still recommend it constantly. It was so well researched and deeply engaging and felt grounded in reality in a way that truly stuck with me. It even got me on the treadmill every morning just so I could keep reading (which is saying a lot). The moment I finished it I wanted to start it all over again.

So when I had to opportunity to read IF TWO ARE DEAD … I was genuinely thrilled and I couldn’t wait to dive in.

Which is why it breaks my heart to say that this one just didn’t land for me in the same way. Not even close.

The setup had all the ingredients for something great - a compelling premise with high stakes and the promise of tension. But the execution didn’t match the potential.

Around the 20% mark, things started to feel overly familiar and cliché. the characters, especially the group of old schoolmates, felt a little flat to me… like versions of people I’ve read dozens of times before, without much depth or nuance to make them stand out.

I found the first half of the book tough to get through. It was slow-moving and hard to stay immersed in. The last 40% picked up considerably and if the rest of the story had matched that momentum I think this would’ve been a very different reading experience for me.

I’ll absolutely keep reading Rick Mofina’s work - SOMEONE SAW SOMETHING proved he’s capable of crafting something truly incredible but this one just didn’t connect for me. And that’s okay. Not every book hits every reader the same way.

2.5/5 stars :(