Week 11 Review: The Executioners Three

From Goodreads:

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard comes The Executioners Three, a mystery filled with rivalry, romance, best friends, and a gruesome curse that dates back centuries.

Freddie Gellar didn't mean to get half the rival high school arrested. She'd simply heard shrieks coming from the woods, so she'd called the cops like any good human would do. How was she supposed to know it was just kids partying?

Except the next day, a body is found. And while the local sheriff might call it suicide, Freddie's instincts tell her otherwise. So, like the aspiring sleuth (and true X-Files aficionado) she is, Freddie sets out to prove there's a murderer at large.

But her investigation is quickly disrupted by the rivalry between her school and the school of the partying teens she got arrested. For over twenty years, the two student bodies have had an ongoing prank war, and Freddie's failed attempt at Good Samaritanism has upped the ante. Worse, the clever—and gorgeous—leader of the rival prank squad has set his sights on Freddie.

As more pranks unfurl, more bodies also start piling up in the forest. But it's the supernatural warning signs around town, each plucked straight from an old forgotten poem called "The Executioners Three," that worry Freddie the most. She knows the poem and its blood curse can't be real, but she's quickly running out of time to prove it.

Because the murderer—or executioners?—knows she's onto them now, and their next target just might be Freddie.

My Review:
This was a really fantastic read! I've really enjoyed Susan Dennard's previous books, and this one sounded really enjoyable, and I'm glad that I was sent an e-ARC copy of this book! I really enjoyed getting to know Freddie as she dealt with this whole situation. 

This book is set in the fall of 1999. It's so weird to say that it's historical, because this is a time when I was alive. I was 4 years old, but I was here on this earth. Like, time flies! I barely remember what happened last week, let alone something 25 years ago, but all the references, like the boy bands, was so much fun! 

I don't know how I'd react if an accident led me to being welcomed in by the popular kids at school, including a crush. That she has a gut that's good for detective work, and turns out to be pretty great at pranks, was a nice, fun element in this book which for the most part, pretty spooky!

The whole mystery with the Executioners Three, and the murders in the past, as well as the town's history, and how it all came together, loved it! Adding in the romance, and this book had a lot of wonderful elements that came together to tell a wonderful story! 

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to read more by Susan Dennard! 

Author: Susan Dennard 
Read: March 9th, 2025 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really good, and it's a Historical Fiction 2025 Book, SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Tor Teen
Expected Published: August 26th 2025

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars