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Children's, Teenage & Young Adult

Keep Your Friends Close

Cynthia Murphy (author)

Paperback Published on: 11/09/2025

£9.99

13 reviews

Free UK delivery on orders over £25, otherwise £3.99

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In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

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Bookseller Reviews

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Could not put this down!!

This is my first book by Cynthia Murphy and will definitely not be my last! Set in Morton Academy, Chloe tries to find out who is killing off members of th... READ MORE

Danielle at Waterstones Northallerton 675

When will Morton Academy realise secret societies are a bad idea!!!!??

With Win Lose Kill Die being my favourite Cynthia Murphy book, I was so excited to hear that a prequel was coming out!!! SO grateful I got an early copy of... READ MORE

Joanna at St. Neots

A brilliantly gripping read!

I flew through this gripping story! We dive into the world of a prestigious boarding school where a secret society presides over the students and the scho... READ MORE

Isabel B at Bristol Galleries

Synopsis

From the bestselling author of BookTok sensation Win Lose Kill Die and ‘CEO of Plot Twists’ comes an explosive dark academia thriller, perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus, Holly Jackson and Mean Girls.

Chloe Roberts is on top of the world at Morton Academy. She’s a shoo-in for Head Girl and the lead spot in the school’s secret society: Jewel and Bone. But then her best friend, Nikhita Patel, betrays her, and life comes crashing down.

Things take a darker turn when Chloe stumbles upon the Book of Crime and Punishment – a record of every misdeed committed by Morton students and the fitting penalty. And it’s not long before entries in the book start to match up with murders of Jewel and Bone members. Anyone could be a suspect.

Can Chloe get to the bottom of this twisted game before she’s next on the killer’s hit list . . . ?

Publisher information

Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
ISBN: 9780241712788
Number of pages: 384
Dimensions: 197 x 129 x 24 mm
Interest age: From 12 years
Weight: 269g
Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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TENSE!!

Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy. Pleased to report that this is incredibly tense, very well paced and absolutely addictive! Great ... READ MORE

Fiona Sharp

Why do students keep dying at this prestigious school?

Gripping but (thankfully) entirely unbelievable mystery set in an elite boarding school. When Chloe is cheated out of the prestigious head girl position... READ MORE

goody_goods

Fast paced YA thriller

A fast paced YA thriller, that keeps you turning the pages and guessing who the murderer is. Really enjoyable, though the ending felt a little rushed.

Joanne Gibbons

Amazing read

I won an early copy of this book and at book event and finished the book in two days. It it so gripping and surprising, I would totally recommend. I couldn... READ MORE

Lottie Staniforth

I did not see any of this coming! It was SO TWISTY!

The early reviews that were in for this book made me apprehensive to start it. I usually pay no attention but I'd just finished another young adult thrille... READ MORE

Jasmine Manning

This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.

Keep Your Friends Close

Whoops! - I bought this for my 56 year old husband. The reviews were good but I hadn't realized that it was a' Young Adults' book. He is reading it, bless... READ MORE

Tina Dangerfield

Verified Purchase

Great murder mystery!

A quick and thrilling read, I devoured this in less than a day. The mystery will keep you guessing but the clues are all there if you're paying attention! ... READ MORE

Leah

A must-read!!read

What a ride. Cynthia is the master of writing YA thrillers! This was twisty, heartbreaking, and gripping, and I was enthralled. I could not put this book d... READ MORE

Cobbo09

Gripping thriller

I was lucky enough to win this proof at an event back in November. Cynthia was lovely having never come across her work before I don’t know how!! This boo... READ MORE

Clare Paske

A masterclass

Keep Your Friends Close is a masterclass in plotting, pacing and tension. It is a triumphant return to the halls of Morton Academy, which are as full of da... READ MORE

Emily (ashortbooklover)

This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.

Keep Your Friends Close

Bookseller Reviews

Synopsis

Publisher information

Customer Reviews

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