e-Audio, 10:25:02
Narrated by: Mia Hutchinson Shaw & Gail Shalan
Release Date: September 19, 2023
Published by: Hachette Audio
Read from: September 4-21, 2023
Stand-alone
Source: Edelweiss (I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
TW: Murder, Violence, Gun Violence, Blood, Car Accident, Grief, Cursing, Death, Medical content, Alcohol, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship (challenged), Cancer, Death of parent, Mental illness, Murder, Gore, Drug use, Stalking, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia (challenged), Terminal illness, Violence
For Readers Interested In: Mysteries, Social Media/Podcasts in Thrillers, LGBTQIA+ (Pansexual), Polydactyly Rep, YA, Sparkly CoversFor fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Veronica Mars, this whip-smart thriller follows a sapphic detective agency as they seek the truth behind a growing trail of missing girls in small-town Louisiana.
A year ago, beloved cheerleader Stella Blackthorn vanished without a trace. Devastated, her younger sister, Iris, launched her own investigation, but all she managed to do was scare off the police’s only lead and earn a stern Once she turns eighteen, more meddling means prison-level consequences.
Then, a year later, the unthinkable happens. Iris’s ex-girlfriend, Heather, goes missing, too—just after dropping the polarizing last episode of her true crime podcast all about Iris’s sister. This time, nothing will stop Iris and her amateur sleuthing agency from solving these disappearances.
But with a suspicious detective watching her every move, an enemy-turned-friend-turned-maybe-more to contend with, and only thirty days until she turns eighteen, it’s a race against the clock for Iris to solve the most dangerous case of her life.
*MY THOUGHTS*
As a huge fan of thrillers/mysteries that include social media or podcasts, as soon as I heard about this book I added it to my TBR. I already knew I was going to like this, it was just a matter of how much. And though it had its faults, I really did enjoy this. I really hope to see more people talk about this.
I always feel weird about books that have teen thrillers/mysteries. It’s always a matter of how they get the information like the clues they need to solve it. But this one I didn’t have to worry about. I actually would have preferred if there were more things that were misleading. Or idk how to explain it. Like everything they came across was a clue later on in the story. And though I didn’t know it then, it was just weird. I would have preferred if they were like just pieces to the story that were just there. It just seemed a bit too lucky.
And weirdly I disliked all the characters BESIDES the main character lmao She was annoying yo lol And at one point she had the nerve to say she didn’t like people who held grudges or something like that and I wanted to slap her. Girl, WHET?! Her whole being was holding a grudge against her ex. She just didn’t make any sense. And then the whole I’m not going to tell my friends something that could get them arrested?! Yeah she should have done jail time for that. She knew she was wrong. And I don’t really understand how she still just did it anyway. She should have given them the choice. Maybe they would have surprised her.
The ending was a little unbelievable, but it was still good. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat or anything because I called who it was, but the first person that’s revealed was a WTF. I was not expecting them to be helping them. But the more information that came out, the more it started making sense. I was glad Wlosok added that extra element because she I didn’t guess it. But I did feel weird about the hospital escape. She had no regard for a head injury and I just don’t want people to think they’re nothing and they can do the same thing she can. I get it, it’s fiction, but it’s also a book for teens.
The romance was fun too. If you can call it that. She spent the whole time mad at the love interest. There were romantic feelings, but she was too damn stubborn to realize she still liked her. The main character was pansexual and they have a budding sapphic romance. I thought they were cute, but I was a bit annoyed at her for being like that to people.
I also enjoyed the audio excerpts that were the podcasts. I love the post production sounds that they add to make them sound like the podcasts and the little extras they add to it. It seems like a simple thing, but it always makes them sound so professional. And I was extra impressed because like there’s only 2 narrators, but there’s so many different people in this story that talk. And they all sounded different. I really enjoyed this.
This book was weird (what kind of teens own a detective agency and are actively against helping the police) but in a good way. I still enjoyed it and liked it more than I thought. I can’t wait to see if there will be another mystery that they solve. For their sakes I hope not since Iris is 18 now lol
Overall, I give this
