THEY NEVER LEARN by Layne Fargo

Rating: 5 / 5

I asked for suggestions on Bookstagram for my Around the Year in 52 Books reading challenge prompt for a female villains. I got a lot of good suggestions, but THEY NEVER LEARN by Layne Fargo was the only one suggested multiple times. With a few trusted sources suggesting it, I made this my first read of 2021!

THEY NEVER LEARN follows two stories. Scarlett Clark is an English professor at Gorman University. More importantly she is a serial killer, on the look out for the worst men to target for a punishment of death. She seems to specialize in bringing justice to those men who are destined to get away with their grisly crimes against the female population of the university. When the university is more concerned with its reputation than protecting women, there are many victims to choose from!

Carly Schiller is a new freshman on campus, eager to explore her newfound freedom after living with an ultra controlling and abusive father. Her roommate has been around Gorman for a while and is determined to break Carly out of her shell. When her roommate is sexually assaulted, Carly is determined to find justice as well.

I am so glad that I trusted my booksta friends with this recommendation as it was a fantastic start to the reading year! The author wove the two main characters’ stories together so well with short chapters switching between POVs in a way that kept the pace fast and the pages flipping! I finished the book before we were even a full day into the new year!

This is one I definitely recommend going into pretty blind. There were quite a few twists and turns that I absolutely did not see coming and I think going in without a lot of knowledge about the book aided with that!

I 100% recommend this one to the thriller fans out there!

Reading Challenge Categories:

#AroundtheYearin52Books – a book with a female villain or criminal