Ten years ago, Claire's mother was the one who urged her to apply for what seemed to be a wonderful opportunity.  It was a month-long program in Australia that offered education and adventure. When Claire was given a full scholarship, the trip became a reality. She immediately became close with her roommate, Phoebe. At first, the whole group bonded, but this was short-lived.  As the group began to get to know each other, fissures appeared, culminating with the disappearance of Phoebe.  Now, ten years later, her remains have been found, and her death has been determined to be a murder and the members of their group have been summoned back to Australia.  The police have questions.  Claire has secrets she needs to keep. She has a plan for that.

THIS STAYS BETWEEN US, by Sara Ochs, is told in dual time segments, in the "then and now". Because of this, readers get a clear picture of what happened and why.  Maybe it was the sun, the partying fueled by alcohol and the fact that the young people were away from home that was responsible for their behavior and the end results back then.  Now, reunited with the others, Claire is determined to do her own investigation and it becomes obvious that the group didn't really know each other at all. They all have secrets and aren't who they first seemed to be.

Cleverly plotted and suspenseful, the story moves quickly. It appears that many of the characters had motives and were capable of lashing out at Phoebe.  But, murder? Just when we think we know who was responsible, the author leads us to other possibilities.  Tension runs high throughout the story, and as for the conclusion- I never saw it coming. Expertly told and engrossing, THIS STAYS BETWEEN US is an engrossing psychological thriller.  Highly recommended.