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.

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.

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.