Picks By Pat

CJ Box's Edgar Award Winning Novel Is A Heavenly Read

2009-06-13T00:40:00.006-06:00

I was looking for something to read on an upcoming flight when I picked up "Blue Heaven" by CJ Box a few weeks ago. Finding something to pass the time in airports is crucial to maintaining sanity and avoiding boredom.

This novel didn't disappoint.

The story revolves around two young children, brother and sister, and an unlikely hero, a rancher who has a damaged relationship with his own son and who's facing foreclosure on a property that has been in his family for generations.

When the youngsters witness a murder while on a fishing trip, they are plunged into a desperate game of hide and seek that could cost them their lives. As the three killers pursue them, the children find refuge in the barn of the rancher, Jess Rawlins. Jess listens to their incredible tale of flight, and then makes a difficult decision to harbor them from the authorities, despite some misgivings about their unbelievable story. Perhaps it's a desire to amend for his own damaged relationship with his family, but Jess wants to believe these kids.

The novel includes an appearance by an ex-detective who can't let go of an unsolved robbery-murder case he worked for years, and which turns out to be crucial to understanding the peril faced by the kids, Annie & William. Additional characters, such as the town banker and the children's mother, enrich the plot. It seems that past history, even the history that some characters want to forget, are influencing the present, and may lead to murder, if the bad guys have their way.

This novel examines a classic theme that has been used successfully in numerous suspense/thriller stories, from Alfred Hitchcock to Patricia Carlon. A man (or woman) who struggles alone against seemingly insurmountable odds, but keeps on fighting. CJ Box has put a new spin on the theme, and it gave this reader a hell of a ride.

Happy Birthday Dashiell Hammett! (among others)

2009-05-27T14:17:00.003-06:00

Today is the birthday of Dashiell Hammett, the father of the noir mystery novel and author of The Thin Man and The Maltese Falcon.

Also born today was Vincent Price, actor whose stage and movie performances will be forever linked with Edgar Allen Poe.

Happy Birthday, gentlemen. Thanks for your work.

101 Things to Do Before You Die...for mystery writers (a work in progress)

2009-05-25T03:36:00.008-06:00

It seems these type of lists were red hot for a while, in many categories, like travel and dining. I thought I'd give a stab at making my own list, in no particular order. I'm up to 30 items, so it's by no means complete. Some of the entries were written with tongue in cheek, but I hope you enjoy them. If you have an idea for additions, I'm open to suggestions, and credit will be given for any I add.

101 Things to Do before You Die (for mystery writers)

Subscribe to Crimespree Magazine. Thank Jon & Jen Jordan for all their work.
Attend Bouchercon.
Take the Konrath Quiz! (http://picksbypat.blogspot.com/2008/11/are-you-konrath-fan-take-this-test.html)
Meet Sarah Weinman. Prostrate yourself before her while you chant “I’m not worthy!” Read her blog.
Read An Unquiet Night by Patricia Carlon.
Join Crimespace. Then go to Australia. Track down Daniel Hatadi (creator of Crimespace). Buy him a beer. Praise him highly in front of the other bar patrons (while you’re still sober, so they know you really mean it).
This year, query three agents a week until you snag one.
Get your novel published.
Join the Mystery Writers of America.
Visit the grave of Edgar Allen Poe, at night. Leave a rose.
Go to your local library and give a talk about your book or the mystery genre.
Buy a bottle of Maker’s Mark. Sip it while you read the August Riordan PI series by Mark Coggins. Note: There are several books in the series…you may need more than one bottle.
Get on a panel at a writer’s conference, as a moderator or participant & teach your fellow writers about a topic you’re an expert on or excited about.
Learn how to kill someone with poison and get that story published.
Write and publish a story from the killer’s point of view and make him/her sympathetic.
Ditto from the victim’s point of view, but make him/her unlikeable.
Get a book review published in your local newspaper, whether it’s the New York Times or the Small Town Gazette.
Attend the Love is Murder conference in Chicago.
Read all of JA Konrath’s Jack Daniels novels. As you read each one, have a drink from the recipe in the front of the novel.
Read The Rap Sheet and then visit all of the links that J Kingston Pierce lists on the sidebar…all 656 of them.
Meet Allison Janssen and Ben LeRoy of Bleak House Books and tell them thanks for publishing some great novels.
Attend a pitch session at every writer’s conference you attend.
Send an autographed copy of your novel to David J Montgomery, because those are the ones he keeps. Thank him. Read his blog, the Crime Fiction Dossier.
Read literary agent Janet Reid’s blog. If you get a chance to meet her at a writer’s conference, introduce yourself, and thank her for the useful advice. Then shake her tentacle.
Write a cozy, a police procedural and a thriller & get them each published under different pen names.
If you’ve never tasted it, try absinthe.
Visit Hemmingway’s house in Cuba.
Learn to read and speak a foreign language. Read a foreign language mystery novel in the original.
At your next writer’s conference, go to the lobby or main room one after all the panels are done and read one of your favorite mystery stories out loud, even if no one is listening.
Meet Julie Hyzy, president of the Midwest chapter of MWA and chat with her. Observe her optimistic and bubbly personality (you can actually hear the bubbles in her voice…it’s quite amazing). Oh, and read her books, starting with this one. She’s a very good writer.

Don't Be AFRAID to Read This Book!

2009-04-12T17:12:00.007-06:00

I've read my share of mediocre novels with half-developed characters and a weak plot.

This isn’t one of them.

AFRAID, by Jack Kilborn, starts out with a quiet evening of fishing on a small town lake. It quickly turns deadly for the residents of Safe Haven. A helicopter carrying a secret army special ops force crashes at the edge of town, and soon people start getting sliced and diced faster than you can say shish-kabob.

As the body count climbs, Sheriff Streng must confront five of the deadliest killers he has ever encountered. And the more he learns, the more he suspects that the helicopter crash may not have been an accident. What’s more, the men hunting him aren’t just killing to get their kicks (much as they enjoy their work). They’re after something…or someone.

The sheriff gets some valuable assistance from a young fireman (Josh) and a single mom (Fran), who help track down the killers. There’s a surprising boost to the story from Duncan, Fran’s 12 year old son, who responds to the horror around him with a courage that escapes most of the adults in the novel.

The villains are more than just stereotypes. Kilborn takes the trouble to get into their minds to show us why they do the things they do. We also get a wonderfully delicious ending that left me cheering for more.

AFRAID will keep you up tonight, so don’t forget to lock your doors and bolt the windows. And don’t be afraid…be very AFRAID.

Exploring the Limits of DNA Profiling

2009-03-20T07:15:00.008-06:00

This actually sounds a lot like an episode of Law & Order. Two men suspected in a jewelry theft have been freed because the DNA could not be linked conclusively to one or the other.

The problem? The men are identical twins. This doesn't even touch on the growing problem of faulty test results and understaffed crime labs around the country, but it's fascinating in its own way.

Read more about it here:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509856,00.html

Under the heading "Protect Your Witness"

2009-03-15T20:18:00.004-06:00

This is probably good advice for any DA who wants to secure the assistance of a witness against a murder suspect.

Don't put your witness in the same cell as the guy he testifies against. Maybe it's just me, but that seems like a no brainer.

Check this link out to see exactly what I mean.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509231,00.html

Cell Phones - A New and Present Danger

2009-03-02T14:39:00.005-06:00

As Facebook and Myspace begin to clamp down of criminals who target their victims through the computer, a new threat is emerging. Predators are getting to their victims via cell phones. This ominous bit of news, from the Howard Scripp News Service, should frighten parents who think nothing of giving a twelve year-old a cell phone but wouldn't dream of letting them on a computer unattended.

Check out the following link to read more:

http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/40901

Get out of Jail...by reading?

2009-03-02T13:37:00.001-06:00

A creative way to reduce taxpayer expense on new prisons may have been found. Judges are starting to sentence minor offendors to read a book, in order to avoid jail time. A bit unusual, but I have to say that I like the idea, as long as we don't offer this to persons who have been convicted of violent offenses. And a preliminary study shows that participants repeated their crimes only half as often as non-participants (granted, it was a small study).

It's worth a try, considering we have almost three million Americans in prison. What do you think? You can read the article at the NYT link below, then decide for yourself.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/books/review/Price-t.html?ref=books

Edgar Allen Poe 200 Year Celebration

2009-01-25T14:49:00.002-06:00

The New York Times has created a slideshow to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of his birth, and it's well worth looking over. Most of the images come from the Berg Collection of the New York Public Library. Who knew that New York had such an amazing collection? Perhaps they deserve a piece of Poe.

Check it out here:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/16/books/eapoe-SLIDE-SHOW-01-17-2009_index.html

Need gift book ideas? Ask an author.

2008-12-02T10:46:00.006-06:00

Penguin Publishing has hit on a novel idea (no pun intended) to help people fill out their holiday shopping lists. They've posted a page on their website showing what books their authors are giving (and hoping to get). The recommendations are excellent and they include a nice mix of classics (Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, George Orwell's 1984) and recent releases (Stephen King's Just After Sunset ).

You can see the entire list here:

http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/features/whattogiveget.html

Pleistocene Park? For 10 Million Dollars, Maybe

2008-11-20T01:00:00.002-06:00

It's a shame that Michael Crichton passed away recently, because I think he would have found this latest discovery of great interest. Scientists are very close to decoding the entire genome of the Wolly Mammoth, using hair fibers. What's more, they believe it may soon be possible to recreate the extinct species, and that someday mammoths could roam the earth again.

Although Jurrasic Park may still be a long, long way off, we could in our liftime see prehistoric creatures like the mammoth, dire wolf & sabre tooth tiger roaming a Pliestocene game reserve.

Almost makes me wish I was a kid again. You can read more about it here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/science/20mammoth.html

and here:

http://www.livescience.com/animals/081119-ap-mammoth-dna.html

Are You a Konrath Fan? Take This Test!

2008-11-09T21:25:00.003-06:00

As readers of this blog may have figured out for themselves, I'm a big fan of mystery/thriller writer JA Konrath. In fact, if backed into a corner, I'd probably admit that I'm his Number One Fan.

But, am I really?

Well, there's one way to find out. Read through this list. If you find yourself agreeing with every one of these signs, you may indeed be Joe's Number 1 Fan, or at least a hardcore fan, like me.

Top Ten Signs You're A Hardcore Konrath Fan

10. You tell everyone you meet that you are Joe Konrath's # 1 Fan.

9. You're wife tells you, "If I hear one more word about what a great writer Konrath is, we're getting divorced."

8. You get divorced.

7. You send Konrath so many fan letters, his lawyer sends you a restraining order. You frame it and hang it in your office, because Konrath autographed it.

6. You bribe the hotel clerk at the writer's conference to put you in the room next to Konrath, even though the room is actually the janitor's closet.

5. You get your first book published and the publisher sends you 20 free copies. You send one to your mom (of course) and 19 to Konrath.

4. At your first book signing, you take Konrath's latest novel instead of your own, because, after all, he's a better writer than you.

3. You shower with your right hand outside the shower curtain for six weeks, because Joe shook it at the last writer's conference you both attended.

2. You write a good review of Konrath's latest novel and post it on your blog, and you don't even get paid for it.

1. The only non-Konrath novel you own is Stephen King's Misery!

Edgar Allen Poe Gets his own Postage Stamp

2008-10-24T23:12:00.007-06:00

The US Post Office has announced they will issue a stamp in honor of Edgar Allen Poe on the anniversary of his birth 200 years ago. The stamp will be issued on January 16, 2009, in Richmond, Virginia.

The portrait was done by Michael J Deas. Here's a sneak peek at the stamp. Well done, and long overdue.

Sandra Ruttan Sets Canadian Crime Fiction on Fire with "What Burns Within"

2008-10-08T23:16:00.006-06:00

Most Americans, if they think of Canada at all, think of hockey, Niagra Falls or the Maple Leaf. The idea that Canadian culture or literature is anything other than an pastel imitation of Americana (soft-boiled at that) can be laid to rest. Sandra Ruttan demonstrates with her novel "What Burns Within" that Canadian crime fiction deserves to be taken seriously. As gritty as the best American crime writers working today, Sandra presents fiction that deals with horrendous crimes without exploiting the victims for cheap thrills. If you prefer cozies, she's not for you, but if you're a fan of tough crime fiction with well-developed characters, climb aboard. But bring along a fire extinquisher.

The plot centers around three police officers in British Columbia who worked on a case involving a brutal crime that nearly destroyed all of their careers. Now, they are drawn together a year later by different cases that gradually appear to be linked. One is a series of arsons, another a set of child kidnappings that stir bitter memories for the investigators. On top of that, a serial rapist is stalking the area, and seems to be targeting the wives & girlfriends of fireman and even the police who are responding to the arsons. The climate of fear and suspicion created by these crimes elevates the level of suspense, since the inside knowledge suggests that someone known to the victims may be involved.

Throughout the novel, several characters who at first appear to be cookie cutter caricatures turn out to have complex motives and flaws. By showing these, Sandra enrichs the story (I'm thinking particularly of Officer Tain, who is not quite the male chauvinist he pretends to be). Not only does Sandra tackle the crimes in a traditional police procedural format, she also explores the social fabric of police work between male and female officers, giving us a glimpse of a world that few ordinary civilians get to see.

Not since I read Garry Disher's "The Dragon Man" have I read an author who spends so much time developing her characters, with both their redeeming features and personality warts. It's a technique that succeeds very well. Pick up a copy of "What Burns Within", and do it soon. Sandra has a sequel coming out next month. If it's anything like this gem, it will be worth reading as well.

Friday's Forgotten Books

2008-09-18T21:34:00.010-06:00

I've been invited to write about a forgotten book in the mystery genre on the blog of Patricia Abbot, a writer and educator from Detroit Michigan, who has a fabulous site at http://pattinase.blogspot.com/. The book that I chose to write about is "The Unquiet Night" by Patricia Carlon, originally published in Great Britain in 1965. It's an excellent suspense story. You can read more about it here starting Friday, September 19, 2008:

http://pattinase.blogspot.com/2008/09/fridays-forgotten-books-september-19.html

Every Friday, Patricia introduces her readers to classic works of mystery fiction that deserve to be read but may not have gotten the attention they merit. Her blog content is well worth looking into the rest of the week as well. Check her out...and tell her I sent you.

Philadelphia Wants Poe, Baltimore Says No!

2008-09-06T09:24:00.007-06:00

It looks like the debate on which American city has the best claim to Edgar Allen Poe is still alive. The New York Times has an article in Saturday's paper that pits Philadelphia's Edward Pettit, a writer & Poe scholar, against Baltimore's Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House.

Sarah Weinman has covered this extensively on her website, but I'd like to make the case for Richmond, Virginia as the city with the best claim to Poe's legacy. The Edgar Allen Poe Museum is in Richmond (a link can be found on this blog). Besides, Poe's own words back this up. According to Professor Kevin Hayes, another Poe scholar, "Poe described himself as a Virginian and wrote that he planned to return there".

You can find the article at this link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/us/06poe.html?ex=1378440000&en=f4a37c2155ca9095&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

A first novel by the son of John Le Carré

2008-08-30T09:10:00.004-06:00

Nicholas Cornwell, son of the Le John Le Carré, has written his first novel under the pen name of Nicholas Harkaway. The book, "The Gone-Away World", has lots of danger & adventure, but no spies. Nick talks with Cynthia Crossen about the book, how he picked the title and what it's like to have your parents read your work, especially when one of them is a world famous author of spy thrillers.

Read the interview here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122004370339984339.html

You can also read an excerpt, here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121993471781679817.html

Books Still Have it to Stir our Emotions

2008-08-23T00:55:00.002-06:00

According to a new study, "Books are just as powerful as movies when it comes to their potential to prod our brains into such reactions as delight, pain or disgust...".

For those of us who are writers, this is is great news...books can still compete with movies when it comes to touching us in a deep and meaningful way.

This from a posting on a science news blog! I would have expected something like this to come from Psychology Today. You can read the story here.

http://www.livescience.com/health/080821-reading-emotions.html

Konrath's "Fuzzy Navel" is a Juicy Winner (Drink Responsibly)

2008-08-16T18:25:00.009-06:00

Dirty Martini was my introduction to the writing of JA Konrath, and after I put down that book, I thought to myself, "Wow. That was a great story. But I don't think he'll ever top the chaos I just witnessed."

I was wrong.

Konrath's latest thriller takes fear and humor to a new level when he packs mayhem and murder into eight action-packed, laugh-out-loud hours. The opening chapter fakes right and then surprises you with a left hook. From there, it's all downhill (or uphill, depending on your point of view). The next few pages demonstrate a couple of acts of vigilante justice that will have you secretly wishing you could take the law into your own hands from time to time, and it's fun to watch. But then things turn nasty. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels, the protaganist, witnesses several of her colleagues bite the dust. The action ramps up when she heads home to find her arch enemy, Alex Kork, has escaped from prison and has made herself at home, along with Jack's mom & fiancee. With a gun pointed at her loved ones, Jack is forced to entice Harry McGlade and Phin to join her. The ultimate aim is to force Jack to watch her friends and loved ones die...the ultimate revenge for a woman that Harry lovingly described as "Frankenbitch".

But that's not the only problem Jack faces. It seems a trio of paramilitary wannabes have decided that Jack's got to go, and they soon join the party, surrounding her home and cutting the occupants off from the outside world with some high tech jamming devices and a old fashioned pair of wire cutters.

And you think your job is tough?

This book is a real page-turner, so I recommend you buy it on a Friday. Once you start reading, you won't want to stop, so your Saturday and Sunday will be spoken for. Unplug the TV and the phone...on second thought, after reading this, you'll probably be clutching the cordless with both hands.

The best part of this latest Jack Daniels' tale is the shocking surprise ending, a cliffhanger which will leave you (figuratively) dying for more. There's quite a few twists and turns in this one, but I've managed to figure out what really happens in the end.

If you want to know yourself, you can buy the next Konrath novel, Cherry Bomb, which is due out in 2009. Or you can bribe me to learn the truth. Send me an email, and I'll send you my address. I'll reveal all for one million dollars...no, make that two million dollars. One million for me and one million for the out-of-court settlement when Konrath sues me.

At any rate, pick up a copy of Fuzzy Navel. And take a big swig. You'll be glad you did.

Best line?
Jack Daniels, "I think my work followed me home."

How To Get Boys To Read - Gross 'Em Out!

2008-08-10T08:51:00.002-06:00

The problem of how to get boys to read more has never been a big secret. We've just forgotten our target audience. What boys like is adventure, thrills...and lots of gross detail in the killing, as the Wall Street Journal reminds in Friday's article. Some of the favorite topics include Vlad the Impaler, a Romanian prince who was the real life inspiration for the story of Count Dracula.

Check out the link here, but don't read while eating:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121814900158422243.html

Scott William Carter's "The First Book" Should be first on your list.

2008-07-21T21:18:00.011-06:00

One of the great pleasures of being a writer is getting to meet other writers, even if it is only over the internet. I first learned about Scott William Carter from a posting on the discussion forums of bksp.org (Backspace, a writer's forum), and also from a post by his agent, Rachel Vater.

Scott has been tireless in his promotion of new writers through a weekly interview blog he conducts. When I contacted him about interviewing me about my first novel, he was very enthusiastic. Since then, I've discovered many new writers that I never would have noticed if he hadn't brought them to my attention.

For anyone looking for a new author to read, I can't think of a better place to start than, "The First Word". Check it out. You'll be glad you did.

http://thefirstbook.wordpress.com

Mystery Writers: Spinetingler wants you for their Archives

2008-06-20T20:26:00.004-06:00

If you've ever been published by Spinetingler Magazine, you may want to read the following. They are collecting stories for their archives, and they need the permission of their writers beore they can collect the stories. See the following message from Sandra Ruttan for more details.

The new issue of Spinetingler Magazine should be available in a few days, and the continuation of Spinetingler is due to the persistence of Brian Lindenmuth and his efforts to persuade me to at least save the Spinetingler archives by moving them to Mystery Bookspot. Ultimately, MBS adopted Spinetingler and provided me with the financial resources needed to increase payments to writers, and technical support to create and upload the issues.The new issue is, in part, a tribute to Tribe’s Flashing in the Gutters. All the stories are flash pieces or short-short stories, and some of the flash pieces originally appeared in FITG. However, we didn’t note which ones originally appeared on Tribe’s site, because we wanted to show how well the stories have stood up over time, and the caliber of the writing showcased on Tribe’s amazing site.

With Tribe’s blessing and Brian’s continued interest in making sure that important contributions to the genre are not lost to us forever, we’re now seeking permission to post an archive of Flashing in the Gutters from all writers who had work on the site. We do not wish to re-post the stories without consent, and we do expect this to be a time-consuming project, but hopefully by fall an archive of most of the stories will be available at mysterybookspot.com.

All writers can e-mail Brian Lindenmuth (blindenmuth@gmail.com) or Sandra Ruttan (sandraruttan.spinetinglermag@gmail.com) to confirm whether or not their story can be included in the archive.

Never Say Never Again: James Bond Returns!

2008-05-08T11:54:00.009-06:00

Although Ian Fleming died over forty years ago, the Bond character lives on, most notably in movies, but now, he's returning to the printed page. Sebastian Faulks is the latest author (but not the first) selected to write a new James Bond thriller after Fleming's death.

The new novel returns to the days of the Cold war, which should make die-hard Bond fans happy. With luck, it will also bring on a new group of younger fans, despite the fact they may not know the historical relevance of Sputnik, the race to the moon or the Berlin Wall. It should arrive in time for the 100th anniversary of Ian Fleming's birth.

You can read the article at the Wall Street Jornal online, here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121020673072975501.html

Tag! You're It!

2008-04-23T19:47:00.010-06:00

I was catching up on my blog reading when I stumbled across an invitation from Mark Coggins to pick up a book and quote from it. Not just any quote...a quote from page 123, the 6th, 7th and 8th sentences. So, with that invitation accepted, here goes...the results are quite interesting.

The nearest book at hand was "The Children of Black Valley" by Evan Kilgore. And on page 123, here's the appropriate quote:

"If I don't know everything about who you are and what you're doing here, I'm going to press this button. Then, it will hurt. Then, we'll start over."

Hmmm, interesting! I hadn't planned on reading this book just yet, but now, my antenna is activated. Sounds like I've stumbled across a pretty nasty character. Better return to page one, and see how we got here. As far as the context of the quote, feel free to use your imagination. I found it fairly shocking.

This feels like one of those chain letters, but with an cool twist. I'd like to send out five invitations to some people who, hopefully, read my blog from time to time (or perhaps, get lost and stumble into it).

Thanks go out to Mark Coggins for this invite.

The Rules Are:

1. Pick up the nearest book at hand (left or right...hand, that is).
2. Turn to page 123.
3. Find the 5th sentence.
4. Post the next 3 sentences.
5. Tag 5 other people (but don't contact them...let them find you).
6. Acknowledge who tagged you.

My choice to play tag!

1. Libby Fischer Hellman, author of Easy Innocence.
2. JA Konrath, author of the soon to be released Fuzzy Navel
3. Sandra Rattan, editor of Spinetingler Magazine and author of What Burns Within.
4. Julie Hyzy, author of a tasty little cozy called State of the Onion.
5. Lee Lofland, author, investigative expert and blogger at The Graveyard Shift.

There are a lot of people I could have chosen, but hopefully, there is something for everyone in this list. I can just imagine a barbeque with this group...the possibilities are endless! Maybe I should send out some invitations (I'll just make sure the fire extinguisher is fully charged...)

Easy Innocence Tackles Some Hard Choices

2008-03-16T21:48:00.004-06:00

Libby Fischer Hellman introduces a new Private Eye series with the publication of Easy Innocence, and it's a good start. Georgia Davis, an ex-cop, get hired to find evidence that might clear Cameron Jordan, an autistic man whose been accused of murdering a high school girl named Sara Long. At first, the forensic evidence against Cameron seems insurmountable, but the deeper Georgia Davis digs into the case, the more frayed ends she finds.

As these ends begin to unravel, she uncovers a number of unpleasant facts about the well-to-do and well-to-do wannabes on Chicago's North Shore. Even more disturbing, the prosecution is rushing to wrap up the case as quickly as possible. The reason soons becomes apparent, though not surprising when you remember that the rich and powerful make special efforts to protect their own.

A high school hazing that took place at the time of the murder places the prosecuting attorney's daughter at the scene of the crime, opening up the possibility that others were involved in Sara's death. And as Georgia begins to question the dead girl's friends, someone starts following her, and one promising lead winds up on a slab in the morgue. Eventually, Georgia learns some shocking revelations about Sara and her high school buddies that reveal just how far teenagers will go to maintain their status in a high school where the content of your closet is more important than the content of your character. It may lead Georgia to the secret that got Sara killed...if she can stay alive herself.

Libby tackles several timely social issues, including peer pressure, the sexualization of young girls, and the pursuit of status, all without preaching or alienating the reader. She does it by simply telling a great story. It had me guessing about the identity of the killer until the very end, and also had me thinking about this book long after I turned the last page.