BOOK DESCRIPTION
News spreads fast. Gossip spreads faster. Deadly secrets spread fastest of all.
Jane Bryson obeys the rules. A long-standing science teacher at Ravenswood High School, she lives a simple life with her husband Craig and Moose the black Labrador. When free-spirited new English teacher Elena Mayfield joins Ravenswood, Jane’s excited to have a friend who is ready to challenge authority, and Elena’s soon shaking things up.
When Elena starts a controversial club, Jane is ready to support her. When Elena begins an illicit romance with a colleague, Jane is there to help her shield her secret. When people begin asking questions about Elena, Jane backs her all the way.
But the morning after the annual fundraiser, Elena’s body is found crumpled on the soccer field.
It soon becomes clear that not everyone found Elena charming and funny. A thousand people were at the fundraiser: there’s a town full of suspects and a long list of motives. Who was angry with Elena? What had her curiosity and rule-breaking uncovered? Who wanted to shut her up?
Who has told lies they would kill to hide?
This enthralling thriller opens with the discovery of the dead body of Elena Mayfield on the soccer field of Ravenswood High School where she taught English. Then the story slips back seven weeks in time and we follow the events leading up to her death as seen through the eyes of science teacher Jane and Amy who worked at the school as a part time accountant and whose daughter Phoebe was in pupil at the school and was in both Jane and Elena's classes. Although none of the chapters were voiced from Phoebe's perspective, her storyline was pivotal to the plot as we witnessed her struggle with her identity and fight back against her mother's control. I thought that Phoebe was a fantastic character and I felt that the author's portrayals of her conflicting emotions and rebellion were very realistic and believable. Being a teenager isn't easy,what with raging hormones, exams and having to make decisions that could possibly affect you for the rest of your life and poor Phoebe's life wasn't made any easier by things that were happening in her private life. I really liked Phoebe and her fellow misfit friend Rowan but was I right in liking them or were the two rebels capable of murdering the one teacher who was willing to give them a chance and see past the judgements and prejudices of others including Phoebe's mother?
I had mixed feelings about Jane although I did admire her determination to uncover who had murdered Elena but was that just a clever ploy by the author to distract the reader from the fact that Jane was actually the killer? As for Amy, she seriously got on my nerves and I could fully empathise with Phoebe and completely understood her actions and behaviour. I know that I was supposed to feel sympathy for Amy once she started receiving the mysterious notes in her mailbox but although I was intrigued to discover who was sending them, the situation didn't alter how I felt about her character. I loved free spirited Elana with her bright clothes and rebellious attitude, she was the type of teacher that everyone wishes to have at school. But in this story of identity and judgement, someone had decided that she deserved to die. Who out of the multitude of suspects had murdered her and what was their motive? Had she fallen victim to the mysterious Silver Slasher or was her killer someone who was hiding in plain sight?
This is a intricately plotted,well written mystery that draws the reader in and keeps you guessing as the drama, trials and tribulations of the realistic characters unfolded before your captivated eyes. I really enjoyed this enthralling story and would happily read more of this talented author's books in the future.
Author Bio:
Laura Wolfe is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she can be found playing games with her highly-energetic kids, riding horses, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She lives in her home state of Michigan with her husband, son, and daughter. Laura's YA mystery, Trail of Secrets, was named as a Finalist in the 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Laura holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan and a JD from DePaul University. She is an active member of multiple writing groups, including Sisters in Crime and the SCBWI.
Author Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraWolfeBooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraWolfeBooks
Website: https://www.laurawolfebooks.com/
Publication Day: Nov 9th 2020
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B08HNJNBX6Social
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