KILLING SADIE

Two high schoolers die during a house party in this debut centering on a violent double murder that’s as twisted as any true-crime story.

Popular girl Sadie Cooper has been stabbed to death. Her boyfriend, Ben Carrera, claims that he found loner Mason Vreeland standing over her body, before he strangled Mason in self-defense. The case seems straightforward—unless there’s more going on than the teens are letting on. Doubt and tension build as the full story is revealed primarily through chapters narrated by Ben; Sadie’s twin, Jayne; and Sadie’s best friend, Liz Stratton, through flashbacks and interviews at the police station. Ben’s report is mostly corroborated by Jayne, and Liz reluctantly shares information. But there are inconsistencies in their accounts, and it’s unclear who is a reliable witness. Readers will be gripped as they try to determine whether these were crimes of passion or premeditated murders. Slowly, the characters, who largely present white, reveal more about themselves and their relationships. Most unsettling and enlightening is “Act Three: Dead Girl Talking,” which introduces Sadie’s narration of events. Rivalry, jealousy, and betrayal all play a role in the murders. The creepiness factor ramps up as the story progresses in the lead-up to a chilling conclusion.

A stone-cold shocker of a tale.