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Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

It doesn’t bode well for Ellery and her brother when they stumble upon a body their very first night in Echo Ridge! 

The twins have been sent to live with a grandmother they barely know while their mom goes through rehab. And it’s their first time in Echo Ridge, since their mother never had any problem sharing exactly how much distaste she had for her hometown. But Ellery can understand. Her own aunt went missing during high school and while her mom never talks about it, Ellery knows it weighs heavy on her. 

Ellery, a true crime nut, is determined to learn more about her aunt’s disappearance now that she has the chance. But she’s barely able to scrape the surface of that mystery when Echo Ridge is targeted by a twisted psychopath. Someone is threatening the homecoming court. And it’s not the first time!

McManus's latest, which came out in January, pits a teenage detective and her friends against a serial killer with a seeming history of targeting homecoming queens.

Ellery is really biding her time in Echo Ridge, waiting to return to California as soon as possible. But her interest in true crime means the tiny town has at least one things going for it—the unsolved case of her aunt's disappearance. Plus, there's the fact that someone killed the homecoming queen just a few years ago too.

But, as mentioned, Ellery doesn't really gain much headway in her investigation before threats against this year's court begin to appear throughout town.

It doesn't help that Ellery herself was nominated for homecoming queen! And that the prime possible suspect is the same man who was accused of murder just a few years ago. Or his brother, who Ellery has very mixed feelings for. Or a local cop on the case... Echo Ridge is packed with suspects and it's an armchair detective's dream come true, as long as it doesn't mean becoming a victim first!

Two Can Keep a Secret is a quick read with a likable heroine and an intriguing mystery. I did think some of the plot points could have been tied up a little more satisfactorily, but overall this was an enjoyable dark thriller perfectly fitting for any suspense fan, teen or adult!

1 comment:

Jan M. Flynn said...

I can think of some teen readers who would probably love this, and who may or may not be on my gift list :-)