THE LEGACIES

A group of seniors from elite New York City prep schools find themselves embroiled in murder.

Each year, members of the Legacy Club nominate 36 seniors from the Intercollegiate League to become part of their exclusive society. The Legacy Ball is the culmination of a week of activities, and one winner, chosen based on a presentation competition, will receive a check and a seat on the club’s board. The story opens dramatically after the ball, as a body is whisked away in an ambulance, before backtracking to four days before the party. Excelsior Prep’s club nominees include Bernie Kaplan, a White girl with famous socialite parents; her best friend, artistic Isobel Rothcroft, whose Mexican American mother is a well-known magazine editor; and queer Greek American scholarship student Tori Tasso, whose widowed dad owns a neighborhood diner. Tori feels out of place in this group, but she knows better than anyone the impact access to the club’s social connections could have on her life. The book counts down the days leading up to the ball that leaves someone dead, interspersing chapters from different characters’ points of view with scenes from the ball’s aftermath as secrets are revealed and the drama and intrigue ramp up. As well as being a fast-paced, page-turning thriller, the book explores issues such as social class divisions, grief, and drug and alcohol use.

A skillfully executed thriller with a decadent setting that fans of the genre will adore.