The Murder Game

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY MAR 15, 2021

When the dean's second wife, Joanna Heckler, is murdered, everyone becomes a suspect at Connecticut boarding school St. Benedict's. Breaking curfew one night to drink in the woods, Luke Chase, a blue-eyed, "all-American" model student; Oscar, his rebellious brown-haired best friend and roommate; Pippa, the intriguing new blonde British student with a dark past; and Oscar's latest blonde fling, Kelsey all implied white may have been among the last to see Mrs. Heckler alive. Set on clearing Oscar's name when he falls under suspicion, Luke delves deep into the secrets of the students and staff at the school, uncovering possible motives and calling on survival skills imparted by his grandfather, which saved him only three years prior when he escaped kidnappers. Red herrings abound, and relevant plot details are often depicted as unnerving, dynamically imbalanced interactions between the teen characters and adults in positions of authority. Uneven characterization and misogynistic behavior from Luke and side characters diminish the effectiveness and enjoyment, respectively, of the mystery; still, the book's promising premise and boarding school setting will draw readers' attention. Ages 14 up.)