Lies Between Us by Jessica Goodman

“Do you ever really know the people you love?

For the Gold sisters and Silver brothers, life has been idyllic, growing up in side-by-side waterfront mansions in a town where doors are never locked and the police do little more than issue speeding tickets. The Golds and Silvers have known each other their entire lives, as neighbors, as friends, as family.

But one carefree summer takes a dark turn when a beach party ends in tragedy and their perfect world cracks wide open. Suddenly, the bonds that tie these families together are strained by suspicion and fear. Painful secrets surface, revealing the fragile truths they've all been hiding.

Lucy, the oldest Gold girl, harbors a crushing secret from her boyfriend, one of the Silver boys. Millie, the middle sister, quietly yearns for the one person she can't have. And the youngest, Frankie, uncovers something that could blow their island apart.” - taken from Goodreads.

A summer of secrets between the Silver boys and the Gold girls explodes when the body of Billy Godwin is discovered. The youngest gold sister, Frankie takes it upon herself to play detective to find out what happened to Billy Godwin. Told between the present day and the uncovering of the events that occurred on the night of the party that Billy died, Readers will be kept on the edge of their seats until the very end to discover what really happened and who was to blame.

Visit Jessica Goodman’s website.

Drop Dead Famous by Jennifer Pearson

“When global singing sensation Blair Baker rises on a platform high above the stage for the opening number of her triumphant hometown concert, the crowd erupts in applause. But their joy quickly turns to horror when they realize Blair is dead. The shocking revelation that music's brightest star has been murdered rocks the world. But for her younger sister, Stevie, the tragedy is more than a headline - it's personal.

Determined to uncover the truth, Stevie dives headfirst into the shadows of her sister's glittering life.

What begins as a search for answers turns into a dangerous journey through the toxic underbelly of fame, where betrayal, manipulation, and obsession thrive. Yet, as Stevie peels back the layers of who her sister really was, she begins to uncover dark secrets closer to home - secrets that someone is desperate to keep buried…” - taken from Goodreads.

This book starts off with the murder of Stevie's older sister, Blair Baker, a pop star sensation at her concert in her hometown. It isn't too long before Stevie alongside her new friend Colby, who runs a fan site about Blair dive feet first into their own investigation over her murder. As the duo begin to uncover the clues, they are warned off by someone to mind their own business. But the more Stevie discovers, will she be able to face the truth about the secrets she learns? Because frankly, most everyone is hiding something.

Visit Jennifer Pearson’s website.

This Is Where We Die by Cindy R. X. He

“Eight friends went on a trip. Only six made it out alive. Now a killer has one night to make sure the survivors pay for what they did … so that zero make it out alive. 

Sadie, Will, Isla, Anthony, Emily, and Charlie are survivors. They were the six (out of eight) to return from a ski holiday turned nightmare two years ago. Although … nobody knows exactly what happened; the details hushed up via the wealth and connections of Sadie's rich parents.

When an exclusive private island with a mansion for rent goes viral on social media, their graduating class persuades Sadie to rent it for the weekend. The six arrive first by helicopter and wait for the rest of their classmates to join them by boat the next day.

But nobody ever comes.

Cut off from the rest of the world with no cell service and no means off the island, paranoia and terror mount as they start to be picked off one by one by an unseen killer. Their past has finally caught up with them, and they'll need to figure out who is killing them before they all wind up dead.” - taken from Goodreads.

This is a YA take on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Eight friends went on a ski trip but only six survived and no one talks about what happened. Now with graduation over, they decide to have one last night together before some other friends arrive on the private island that they rented for a party. Sadie, Isla, Emily, Charlie, Will, and Ant are all bound by the horrific secret that no one talks about. As soon as the six arrive on the island, they realize that they are trapped and at the mercy of someone who wants them to pay for what happened on that ill-fated ski trip. Told from six points of view with flashbacks to the ski trip, who will survive the weekend and who wants them dead?

Visit Cindy R. X. He’s website.

When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur

“When Dawson Sumter goes missing, all he leaves behind is a smattering of blood in room 4 of the debt-ridden motel owned by Neera Singh's family. Disappearances like this aren't uncommon in the rural Georgia town of Carrion, especially every thirteen years when a periodical cicada brood returns from underground, shrieking their deafening screams.

For Neera, Dawson is another reminder that in this corner of the South, the rich only get richer, and the poor—well, nothing good comes their way.

Neera sets out to investigate Dawson’s whereabouts—if he even still lives—along with three other teens: Isaiah, son of a prominent judge and clandestine true crime podcaster; Reid, son of the wealthiest man in the region; and Sam, estranged daughter of the local hitman. As they find themselves entangled in a messy web of secrets and lies, they discover the riches of the adjacent Lake Clearwater community may have a terrifying source of power dating back to the town’s founding and an ancient urban legend about three devils, each more sinister than the next. How deep does the rot go, and can they find a way to escape its reach?” - taken from Goodreads.

This book reminded me of the Charlie Daniels song, The Devil Went Down to Georgia. Except in Carrion, Georgia, local folklore has it that there are actually three devils at the crossroads, each one more sinister than the next. They each prey on desperate residents in rural, backwater Georgia where the uber rich live close by who keep their secrets even closer.

Not all is what it seems in Carrion/Lake Clearwater. And as readers dive deeper into the story, the more all of the pieces of this story come together as Sam, Neera, Reid, and Isaiah race to figure out what has happened to Dawson Sumpter, the one person who initially ties them together. This was an excellent Southern Gothic mystery/thriller that will keep readers eagerly anticipating what really is going on in Southwest Georgia. The audio version was incredible.

Visit Xan Kaur’s website.

The Thrashers by Julie Soto

“Welcome to the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High.

They’re everything everyone wants to be.

Jodi Dillon was never meant to be one of them. Julian, Lucy, Paige, and the infamous Zack Thrasher are rich, sophisticated, and love attention. Jodi feels out of place, but Zack’s her childhood best friend, so she’s in.

Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies—and the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her friends or protect herself.

But as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear—Emily isn’t done with them yet.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a book that kept you on the seat of your pants until the very end trying to uncover what really happened. Emily MIlls dies by suicide on prom night. She desperately wanted to fit in with a group of popular students known as the Thrashers. Soon, fingers start pointing at Jodi and her friends when Emily’s journal portrays a climate of bullying with Zach Thrasher being the leader. Jodi, not rich like her friends, soon discovers that she is the key to figuring out what really happened. As secrets begin to unfold, Jodi soon realizes that maybe she does not know who her so-called friends really are.

Visit Julie Soto’s website.

Watch Us Crack by Gabriella Lepore

“Sadie Morelli and Cason Tano were friends in middle school, back before Cason’s mom died and Sadie transferred to a new school. When they meet again as high school juniors at the local ice rink where Sadie waitresses and Cason’s hockey team plays, what was once friendship blooms into something more. Given the intensity of the rivalry between their schools, their budding romance is a secret for them alone.

But then someone turns up dead at the local train station. Sadie and Cason were both at the station the night of the murder, and both have a reason to want to hurt the victim. With accusations flying and secrets being held close to the chest, Sadie and Cason must decide the lengths they’re willing to go to to clear their own names—and to protect each other.” - taken from Goodreads.

Sadie & Cason knew one another in middle school but drifted apart when she moved to a rival high school. Now as juniors, the two meet again at a local ice rink but decide to keep their relationship to themselves. When someone is found dead at the train station near Sadie’s house, suspicion is cast upon everyone near the victim, including Sadie & Cason. Can the two of them crack the case without destroying their relationship? Just who killed Kai?

Visit Gabriella Lepore’s website.

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard

 

“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 now, the two student bodies have had an ongoing prank war, and Freddie's failed attempt at Good Samaritanism has upped the ante. Big time. 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 might just be Freddie. - taken from Goodreads

With a throwback to 1999 and all of the cool references from that year, Freddie Gellar soon finds herself involved in a creepy murder mystery that only seems relevant to her.. With weird happenings occurring in the town that seems to relate to an old poem that she uncovers, Freddie is in a race against time before the next victim is discovered.

Visit Susan Dennard’s website.

Glorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Grandest Game book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Grandest Game, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher of the first book.

“Seven players arrived on Hawthorne Island, each with their own secrets and motivations to win the Grandest Game. Millions are at stake, but so are hearts—and lives. The players now must race to win the game, solve myriad mysteries, and survive the twists and turns of Glorious Rivals.” - taken from Goodreads.

Picking up immediately where the first book left off, five players are left in the game and the stakes have picked up. This is really Grayson’s and his sisters’ story and the ride is contagious. Readers will quickly figure out that this is not the end of the series and the explosive ending will leave readers waiting for the next book. Lots of mysteries are still unsolved.

This trilogy will conclude with The Gilded Blade out sometime in 2026.

Visit Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ website.

The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman

 

“It’s the first week of senior year at Middlebrook Academy. For Amy and her best friend Sarah, that means late-night parties at the boathouse, bike rides through their sleepy Connecticut town, and the crisp beginning of a New England fall.

Then tragedy. Sarah and her boyfriend are brutally murdered in their dorm room. Now the week Amy has been dreaming about for years has turned into a nightmare, especially when all eyes turn to her as the culprit. She was Sarah’s only roommate, the only other person there when she died—or so she told the police to cover for her own boyfriend’s suspicious whereabouts. And even though they were best friends, with every passing day, Amy begins to learn that Sarah lied about a lot of things.

Liz, editor of the school newspaper and social outcast, is determined to uncover the truth about what happened on campus, in hopes her reporting will land a prestigious scholarship to college. As Liz dives deeper into her investigation, the secrets these murdered seniors never wanted out come to light. The deeper Liz digs, the messier the truth becomes – and with a killer still on campus, she can’t afford to make any mistakes.” - taken from Goodreads.

Amy discovers one morning that her roommate and best friend Sarah and Sarah’s boyfriend have been brutally murdered during the night. Forced to leave her dorm room and bunk with Liz, the school newspaper editor, the two do not immediately click. As the mystery surrounding the deaths on campus deepens, Amy and Sarah soon rely on one another to piece together the clues to stop them from becoming the next victims. 

Visit Jessica Goodman’s website.

Silent Sister by Megan Davidhizar

 

“Two sisters went missing on their class trip—Grace, the outgoing athlete who is friends with just about everyone, and Maddy, the wallflower wilting in her sister’s shadow who'd rather absorb herself in her journal than talk to her classmates.

But when Grace is found—injured, with no memory of what happened—everybody thinks she’s lying. It’s hard not to look guilty with Maddy’s blood on her clothes.

Desperate to save her sister—and prove her own innocence—Grace must piece together what happened on that school trip with the help of her sister’s notebook and classmates who may not be telling the police everything that about that tragic night.

She will discover her sister’s secrets can’t stay quiet…but what if her own are the most terrifying of all?” - taken from Goodreads.

This was an unexpected mystery for me, but in a good way. Told by both sisters, Grace in the present and Maddy in the past, readers will be clamouring to discover what Grace is trying to remember about that night. Heartbreaking at times, the ending completely caught me off guard. So glad that I read/listened to this book.

Visit Megan Davidhizar’s website.

The Bitter End by Alexa Donne

 

“When a winter storm traps eight teens in a remote ski cabin, they find themselves stranded with a killer—who may be one of their own.

The trip of a lifetime might be the death of them all.

The students of LA’s elite Warner Prep can’t wait for their Senior Excursion—five days of Instagrammable adventure in one of the world’s most exclusive locations. This is not your average field trip.

Which is why eight students can’t believe their bad luck when they end up on a digital detox in an isolated Colorado ski chalet. Their epic trip is panning out to be an epic bore . . . until their classmates start dropping in a series of disturbing deaths. The message is clear: this trip is no accident.

And when a blizzard strikes, secrets are revealed, betrayals are exposed, and survival is at stake in a race to the bitter end.” - taken from Goodreads.

Eight students are on a school trip with their school counselor for a weekend detox retreat. In a mountain chalet without the internet, things begin to go off the rails the following morning when one student is discovered dead. With no way to call out, the counselor decides to take the snowmobile down the mountain to get help. Soon after, a blizzard hits and the cabin is plunged into darkness when the power goes out. Soon the remaining students realize that there is a killer in their midst when the bodies begin to pile up. 

Told between the present and a party that took place 3 years earlier, can the killer be uncovered before it is too late?

Visit Alexa Donne’s website.

Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson

 

“The fire wasn’t Marlowe Wexler’s fault. Dates should be hot, but not hot enough to warrant literal firefighters. Akilah, the girl Marlowe has been in love with for years, will never go out with her again. No one dates an accidental arsonist.

With her house-sitting career up in flames, it seems the universe owes Marlowe a new summer job, and that’s how she ends up at Morning House, a mansion built on an island in the 1920s and abandoned shortly thereafter. It’s easy enough, giving tours. Low risk of fire. High chance of getting bored talking about stained glass and nut cutlets and Prohibition.

Oh, and the deaths. Did anyone mention the deaths?” - taken from Goodreads.

This was truly a great book that revolved around two different mysteries, ninety years apart. After accidentally setting fire to the house she watches, Marlowe Wexler takes a summer job at Morning House. Upon arrival at the island, she is soon thrust into the tragedies that surrounded the Ralston family, the house’s previous owners. When her boss disappears, Marlowe’s inner thoughts start spinning to figure out what happened. She soon finds herself in danger the deeper she dives into the mystery 

I really like this mystery better than I thought. Finding the Ralston treasure at the end to solve the final mystery was terrific. I am glad I gave this book a shot.

Visit Maureen Johnson’s website.

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

 

“Keep the secret. Live the lie. Earn your truth.

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.

The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.

Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she'll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book was phenomenal and definitely lives up to all of the hype. Daunis Fontaine is fearless, despite everything she faces. The author dives deep into the Native American culture of the Ojibwe community in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. For maximum enjoyment, go into this book without knowing a whole lot about it. Definitely will remain one of my all-time favorites.

Visit Angeline Boulley’s website.