On a college campus bracing for a snow storm, five graduate assistants are in the process of running a psychological study to determine the factors that would lead someone to lie. After a very heated situation with one of their test subjects, one of the graduate students is found murdered. As the storm rolls in and secrets begin to unravel, the local PD find themselves up against a ticking clock and a group of people trained to deceive.

THIS IS HOW WE END THINGS is my first read by R.J. Jacobs and I quite enjoyed it!

The academic setting was superb and the impending storm created such a nice atmosphere. I loved the jumping perspectives and I liked getting to know this cast of characters!

However, the psychology aspect of the story wasn’t fleshed out as much as I wanted it to be (and even felt random at times) and the reveal of the killer had me hoping for more.

Overall, a fun dark academia thriller that I would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: September 12