The One That Got Away with Murder Summary, Characters and Themes
The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy is a psychological thriller set against the backdrop of small-town secrets and toxic relationships.
It follows Lauren O’Brian, a high school senior haunted by a dark past, who moves to Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, hoping for a fresh start. But when she falls for Robbie Crestmont—a wealthy, enigmatic boy with a history of dead ex-girlfriends—Lauren finds herself entangled in a web of lies, manipulation, and danger. As past and present collide, Lauren must confront not only the darkness surrounding Robbie but also the demons she thought she’d left behind.
Summary
Lauren O’Brian arrives in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, desperate for a fresh start after fleeing the wreckage of her past in California.
Haunted by the traumatic events involving her abusive ex-boyfriend, Clint, and a devastating fire that left emotional scars, Lauren hopes to escape her guilt and start anew alongside her mother, a dedicated hospice nurse. But her trauma isn’t something she can outrun—it follows her like a shadow.
At her mother’s workplace, Valley Hospice, Lauren meets Robbie Crestmont, a handsome and enigmatic volunteer from one of Happy Valley’s wealthiest families. Robbie’s charm is magnetic, his dark allure offering Lauren a temporary escape from her inner turmoil.
Their relationship begins as nothing more than secret hookups, an arrangement that helps Lauren drown out her pain. But beneath Robbie’s polished exterior lies something unsettling, and Lauren soon discovers that Robbie and his older brother, Trevor, carry sinister reputations.
Rumors swirl around the Crestmonts—about dead ex-girlfriends and family secrets buried under layers of privilege and power.
Robbie’s ex, Victoria Moreno, a talented soccer star, drowned mysteriously at the Crestmont family’s lake house. A year later, Trevor’s girlfriend, Jess Ebenstein, died from an alleged overdose under suspicious circumstances.
The Crestmont brothers were the last ones to see both girls alive. Yet, thanks to their family’s wealth and influence, no charges were ever filed, and whispers remained just that—rumors.
Despite warnings from new friends like Lex, the captain of the varsity soccer team, and Mara, Lauren continues her clandestine relationship with Robbie. Their connection is intense, fueled by shared darkness and mutual emotional wounds.
But Robbie’s charm gradually gives way to something more controlling and manipulative. He knows things about Lauren’s past—details she never shared with him, details that dredge up the very pain she was trying to escape.
When Robbie invites Lauren to spend Labor Day weekend at his family’s lake house—the very place where Victoria died—she agrees, ignoring her instincts and the ominous warnings from those around her.
The lake house, perched on the edge of Lake Monarch, is both beautiful and eerie, filled with echoes of past tragedies. There, Lauren meets Trevor and their friend John, whose dynamics with Robbie reveal undercurrents of tension and buried secrets.
As the weekend unfolds, Lauren’s unease grows. The conversations are laced with half-truths, evasive remarks, and sinister undertones. Robbie’s charm slips further, exposing possessiveness masked as affection.
When Lauren stumbles upon disturbing evidence that hints at Robbie’s involvement in Victoria’s death, the façade shatters completely. Confronting him leads to an explosive argument where Robbie’s dark, manipulative tendencies surface in full force.
He reveals that he’s known about Lauren’s traumatic past all along, having found online discussions about the California fire that scarred her both physically and emotionally.
The confrontation escalates, both physically and emotionally. Robbie’s charm morphs into something dangerous, his obsession with control mirroring the abusive patterns Lauren experienced with Clint.
In a harrowing climax by the lake—the same waters that claimed Victoria’s life—Lauren fights back. She escapes Robbie’s grip, both literally and metaphorically, refusing to become another tragic chapter in the Crestmont family’s dark history.
Returning home, battered but alive, Lauren finally opens up to her mother about everything: Clint, the fire, Robbie, and the terrifying weekend at the lake house. This confession marks the beginning of her healing journey, as she confronts her trauma instead of running from it.
Robbie’s fate remains ambiguous. The Crestmont family’s influence may shield him from justice, but Lauren’s escape exposes the darkness lurking behind their wealth and status. The novel closes on a note of resilience. Lauren isn’t magically healed, but she’s no longer defined by her past. She’s a survivor, reclaiming her narrative, ready to face the future with courage forged from her scars.
Characters
Lauren O’Brian
Lauren O’Brian is a complex character whose journey revolves around healing from deep-rooted trauma and discovering her own strength. At the start of the story, Lauren is a high school senior who moves to Happy Valley with her mother to escape the remnants of a traumatic past involving her abusive ex-boyfriend Clint.
Despite her fresh start, Lauren carries emotional scars that affect her relationships and sense of self. Her encounter with Robbie Crestmont initially provides an escape from her pain, but she soon finds herself entangled in a dark and manipulative relationship, mirroring the toxic patterns she experienced with Clint.
As the story progresses, Lauren transforms from a girl haunted by her past into a woman who recognizes the need to confront her fears and reclaim her power. Her journey is both a literal and symbolic escape from a cycle of manipulation and abuse, culminating in her ability to open up to her mother and begin her healing process.
Robbie Crestmont
Robbie Crestmont is a charming yet dangerous figure whose allure masks a darker, more sinister nature. He is introduced as the perfect escape for Lauren, providing a temporary reprieve from her emotional trauma.
However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Robbie is deeply flawed and possibly involved in the suspicious deaths of his ex-girlfriends. His wealth, privilege, and family’s influence allow him to maintain a façade of innocence, despite the rumors surrounding him and his brother, Trevor.
Robbie’s manipulation of Lauren is subtle yet effective, as he uses her vulnerabilities against her, convincing her that they share a bond due to their mutual “damage.” However, as Lauren uncovers more about his past, particularly the truth behind Victoria’s death, Robbie’s facade begins to crack, revealing a more controlling and dangerous side.
His relationship with Lauren is fraught with emotional manipulation, and by the end of the novel, his fate is left ambiguous, suggesting that his family’s power may protect him from facing the consequences of his actions.
Trevor Crestmont
Trevor Crestmont, Robbie’s brother, plays a secondary yet significant role in the novel. Like Robbie, Trevor is shrouded in secrecy, with his own dark past that involves the death of his girlfriend, Jess Ebenstein, from an overdose.
Trevor’s presence at the lake house during Lauren’s weekend getaway adds to the tension, as he appears evasive and guarded about his own involvement in the tragic events surrounding his ex-girlfriend’s death. He shares a complicated dynamic with Robbie, and the reader is left wondering whether his involvement in these tragedies is deliberate or merely a result of his proximity to his brother’s dangerous behavior.
Trevor’s role is important in highlighting the toxic environment within the Crestmont family, where secrets are concealed, and manipulation is the norm. While he may not be as overtly manipulative as Robbie, Trevor’s actions suggest that he is complicit in the dark undertones of his family’s influence and power.
Lex and Mara
Lex and Mara are Lauren’s teammates on the varsity soccer team, and they serve as her initial connection to her new life in Happy Valley. Though they become Lauren’s friends, they are also the voices of caution and warning about the Crestmont brothers.
Lex, as the team captain, and Mara, as a close friend, play crucial roles in alerting Lauren to the dangerous history surrounding Robbie and his family. Their warnings about the Crestmonts, particularly the deaths of Robbie’s and Trevor’s ex-girlfriends, serve as a foreshadowing of the tragic events that eventually unfold.
While Lex and Mara don’t have the same depth of character development as the central figures, their roles are important in providing insight into the toxic atmosphere of the town and offering Lauren moments of clarity that help her make sense of the darker realities she’s facing.
Lionel Crestmont
Lionel Crestmont, the patriarch of the Crestmont family, is a powerful and manipulative figure. As a wealthy attorney, Lionel wields influence over the town and ensures that his family’s darker secrets remain hidden.
He appears at the lake house with his younger girlfriend, Stacy, bringing a sense of unease to the already tense atmosphere. Lionel’s charisma and control are evident, and he serves as a symbol of the power that enables Robbie and Trevor to escape accountability for their actions.
His presence is both physically and emotionally domineering, and he embodies the toxic influence that wealth and privilege can have on a family. While Lionel’s direct involvement in the deaths of the girls is not fully explored, his ability to protect his sons and maintain the Crestmont family’s pristine image speaks volumes about the pervasive corruption that exists within the family.
Clint
Clint is a shadowy figure from Lauren’s past, serving as the catalyst for her emotional turmoil and traumatic journey. Although Clint does not appear prominently in the narrative, his impact on Lauren is profound.
He was her ex-boyfriend in California, and their relationship was abusive and manipulative. Clint’s emotional control over Lauren and his involvement in a tragic fire weigh heavily on her, contributing to the self-doubt and guilt that she carries with her throughout the novel.
His character acts as a mirror to Robbie’s manipulation, with both men exploiting Lauren’s vulnerabilities for their own purposes. Clint’s legacy is one of emotional scars, and his actions underscore the novel’s themes of abuse, trauma, and the difficulty of breaking free from destructive relationships.
While Clint’s physical presence is absent, his influence on Lauren’s journey toward healing and self-empowerment remains a driving force in the narrative.
Stacy
Stacy is Lionel Crestmont’s much younger girlfriend, and her presence at the lake house further adds to the discomfort of the situation. Although her role is minor, Stacy’s youth and her relationship with Lionel highlight the disturbing power dynamics within the Crestmont family.
Her character serves as a juxtaposition to the older, more controlling figures like Lionel and Robbie, and her role in the story emphasizes the unsettling atmosphere surrounding the Crestmont estate. Stacy’s presence is a subtle reminder of the pervasive influence and manipulation that runs throughout the Crestmont family, particularly in their ability to control and dominate others, whether emotionally or through sheer power.
Themes
Trauma and the Long Road to Emotional Recovery
One of the core themes explored in The One That Got Away with Murder is trauma and its profound impact on identity, behavior, and relationships.
The protagonist, Lauren O’Brian, is grappling with deep emotional scars from a past relationship that ended in manipulation, emotional abuse, and a devastating incident involving a fire. Her trauma isn’t something that can simply be left behind with a new move; it’s carried within her, affecting her decisions and perceptions of the world around her.
Throughout the novel, Lauren tries to escape her past by throwing herself into a new life, but she finds herself repeatedly drawn back to her trauma, especially in her relationship with Robbie Crestmont. Her connection with him, though initially a means of temporary escape, reflects how trauma often shapes future relationships, making one vulnerable to repeating destructive patterns.
The novel doesn’t offer an easy fix but instead demonstrates the complicated journey of acknowledging and confronting the past to heal and move forward. It is only when Lauren faces her emotional scars head-on—by confronting both Robbie and her mother—that she begins to break free from the hold her past trauma has on her.
The Complicated Dynamics of Power, Manipulation, and Control in Wealth and Influence
Another central theme is the way manipulation and control intersect with power and wealth, specifically within the context of the Crestmont family.
The Crestmont brothers, Robbie and Trevor, are surrounded by wealth, privilege, and influence, which shield them from any meaningful consequences for their actions, including the suspicious deaths of their ex-girlfriends.
The family’s wealth is not merely a backdrop to the story—it actively enables their toxic behavior. Lionel Crestmont, the father, uses his position as a powerful attorney to manipulate those around him, including his sons, who are equally adept at manipulating people, particularly women like Lauren.
Robbie, despite his charm, reveals himself to be a master of psychological manipulation, using his knowledge of Lauren’s past and vulnerabilities to control her emotions and actions.
In this sense, the novel critiques how wealth and influence allow certain individuals to maintain a veneer of innocence and charm, even as they wreak havoc on others.
The Crestmonts’ power comes with a sense of entitlement and an understanding that their actions have no real consequences, reflecting a deeply troubling truth about societal privilege and its ability to protect the guilty.
The Psychological Cycle of Abuse and the Destructive Patterns of Self-Perpetuating Trauma
At the heart of the novel lies the theme of the psychological cycle of abuse, particularly how individuals, even those with a strong sense of self, can fall into toxic relationships due to past traumas.
Lauren’s past with Clint, her abusive ex-boyfriend, plays a significant role in shaping how she views herself and her worth.
Her relationship with Robbie mirrors the toxic dynamics she experienced with Clint, which makes it difficult for her to see the danger Robbie poses until it’s almost too late. The attraction to Robbie, despite knowing the dangers, reflects a broader psychological truth: survivors of abuse often find themselves gravitating toward situations that repeat the trauma, either because they are subconsciously familiar or because they struggle to believe they deserve better.
Robbie, in turn, uses the same psychological tactics Clint employed—gaslighting, manipulation, and emotional control—to keep Lauren in his orbit.
This cycle is only broken when Lauren acknowledges the familiar patterns and breaks free from them, not by avoiding relationships entirely, but by facing the truth of what’s happening to her. The novel, therefore, illustrates how abuse is not just about physical violence but about psychological control that can subtly erode one’s sense of autonomy and self-worth.
The Elusive Nature of Truth and the Distortion of Reality by Those in Power
The theme of truth versus perception is one of the most compelling and intricate elements of The One That Got Away with Murder. Throughout the story, the characters grapple with distorted truths, manipulated realities, and the difficulty of discerning what is real.
Robbie’s version of the events surrounding Victoria’s death is full of holes, and his manipulative tactics aim to make Lauren doubt her instincts and perceptions.
The novel explores how those in positions of power—like the Crestmont family—have the ability to manipulate narratives, bending the truth to their will and creating an environment where the line between victim and perpetrator is blurred. Lauren’s own history with Clint demonstrates how one’s personal truth can be shaped or skewed by the actions and words of others, especially those who seek to control or dominate.
The story suggests that the truth is not always clear-cut and that individuals must sift through layers of distortion and self-deception to understand what really happened. This makes Lauren’s eventual confrontation with Robbie so powerful—it’s not just about uncovering the truth of Victoria’s death, but about reclaiming the power to define her own reality and see herself as more than just a victim of circumstances.
Breaking Free from the Chains of the Past and Reclaiming One’s Identity
Perhaps the most significant theme in the novel is Lauren’s ultimate journey of breaking free from the emotional chains of her past and taking ownership of her future. The psychological and emotional scars she carries from her past with Clint and her initial relationship with Robbie represent an ongoing battle between self-doubt and self-reclamation.
The novel skillfully illustrates how easy it is for someone with a traumatic history to be drawn back into old patterns of abuse, and it shows the internal struggle that occurs when Lauren realizes that she is repeating the same mistakes. The lake house scene serves as a turning point, where Lauren not only physically escapes but also symbolically reclaims her power.
Her confrontation with Robbie isn’t just a moment of self-defense—it’s a moment of self-empowerment, where she takes control of her narrative. The final act of opening up to her mother about her past is another powerful moment, as it signifies her decision to no longer hide in shame but to accept her story as part of who she is.
The theme of reclaiming one’s identity is threaded throughout the book, culminating in a hopeful, albeit imperfect, resolution. It’s not about escaping the past entirely but learning to face it, understand it, and not let it define who she will become moving forward.