No one is who they appear to be in this twisty, shocking thriller by Karen M. McManus (One of Us Is Lying; Two Can Keep a Secret) about a high school senior who investigates the unsolved murder of her eighth-grade teacher.
Brynn, who has lived in Chicago for the past four years, returns to the Massachusetts town where beloved eighth-grade teacher Mr. Larkin's body was found by former schoolmates Tripp, Charlotte and Shane. While adjusting to senior year in her hometown, Brynn, determined to solve Mr. Larkin's murder, begins interning for a popular true crime podcast, Motive. She uses her time volunteering at a garden established in memory of Mr. Larkin to gently interrogate fellow volunteer and ex-friend Tripp. The more time Brynn spends with Tripp, the more Charlotte and Shane intervene. As Brynn and Tripp's relationship slowly turns romantic, Brynn starts to uncover secrets hidden by friends, family members and even Mr. Larkin.
McManus's use of dual points of view builds character, suspense and tone. Brynn's perspective is journalistic: she puts clues together, meddles and gets into trouble. Eighth-grader Tripp's viewpoint is more internal, displaying the crumbling of his superficial friendship with Charlotte and Shane and describing his guilt from the experience of finding Mr. Larkin's body. The addition of Tripp's perspective heightens the suspense as it slowly unveils what happened that day--with a cliffhanger ending. This riveting mystery will leave readers eager to know who is responsible for the death of Mr. Larkin. --Kharissa Kenner, children's librarian, Bank Street School for Children