The Sixes by Kate White + a Giveaway

Good morning, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Kate White TLC book tour, featuring her book The Sixes.

After a plagiarism scandal derails her latest book deal, Phoebe Hall decides to regroup and take some time away from the city. A friend's offer of a temporary teaching position at Lyle College in Pennsylvania fits the bill perfectly. But then a student drowns just days after approaching Phoebe. It seems like an accident until Phoebe's friend asks her to dig into campus rumors about a possible secret society called the Sixes. A secret society the dead girl might very well have been a part of. 

Phoebe herself knows just how bad these groups can be and agrees to look into the rumors. But her unofficial investigation gets her some very unwanted attention and Phoebe soon finds herself the victim of a series of malicious pranks. When a second body is discovered, it seems the pranks could be just a preamble to murder. 

With a secret society, college drama, and even a little taste of boarding school storyline, The Sixes was bound to be an enjoyable read. And oh, enjoyable it was! There were a few times I thought I had this one down. I thought I knew the who and the why behind it all. And then White would throw a wrench in the whole thing and make me rethink my theory. I never did get it right - the end was a total surprise. The Sixes is the kind of read where everyone soon becomes a suspect. And of course Phoebe doesn't necessarily see that, which ratchets up the tension fabulously.

Phoebe had it all and lost it thanks to things fairly beyond her control. The plagiarism issue was chalked up to inattentiveness and a mistake made by a researcher - both of which Phoebe does take the blame for, but still... And then she gets dumped because her significant other wants children, a decision that's deemed impossible because of Phoebe's age. So yeah, things suck for Phoebe! But she pulls up her bootstraps and starts over at Lyle College - an opportunity that comes thanks to her friend, Glenda.

The dynamic between Phoebe and her friend Glenda is a great one. Glenda knew Phoebe "when." And the when is important. The reader isn't clued into this immediately, but we do know that the two have a shared background that has made them friends for life, so much so that it makes sense that Glenda would reach out to Phoebe in her time of need. And so much so that Phoebe would readily agree to this behind the scenes investigation into The Sixes in spite of any reservations she might have.

White is a fun author, one I definitely recommend for fans of Mary Higgins Clark, Alafair Burke, etc. The Sixes is just one of her many titles - and a stand alone to boot, as are Hush, Eyes on You, and the upcoming The Wrong Man. She's also the author of the Bailey Weggins series.

Rating: 4/5

And now for the giveaway! I've got an extra copy of The Sixes to give away to one of your lucky readers. To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, June 15. US only please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


To see more stops on the tour, which includes coverage of The Sixes, Hush, and Eyes on You, be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on Kate White and her work, you can visit her website here. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.