NOW SHE'S DEAD

A young woman returns to the lake resort where her family vacations annually—and where her best friend was killed the year before.

The summer after Sara died in the woods after a night of drinking and setting off fireworks, 18-year-old Mandy has agreed to the trip to the insular, mostly white Highmark Inn & Resort with her family. She’s hoping to convince her parents that she’s functioning well enough to continue going to college away from home. In reality, however, Mandy is racked with guilt about her role in Sara’s death and is horrified to discover that her younger sister, Kelsey, has brought along Natalie, a friend who produces a true-crime podcast and is interested in uncovering the real story behind Sara’s death. Employing a dual timeline that moves between the previous summer and the current one, Clarke effectively creates a grim, tension-filled atmosphere. Mandy’s internal monologues show how her anxiety ramps up in the present-day storyline, threatening to overwhelm her, and many members of the large cast of characters appear to be hiding things. There’s a great deal more to Sara’s death than the police uncovered, and the author teases readers about exactly how much Mandy knows—and how culpable she actually is—right up to the end. Mandy is a well-drawn unreliable narrator. Major characters are cued white.

A dark and engrossing debut that will keep readers guessing.