The Lonely Dead by April Henry 240 pages

Another great book by April Henry. Besides the mystery and suspense that April brings to her books, she adds a paranormal flare to The Lonely Dead. I was able to read an Advanced Reader's Copy thanks to NetGalley. 

Ever since she was young, Adele could see and talk to the dead. While taking a shortcut home from school, Adele comes across her ex-best friend, Tori in the woods. She soon realizes that Tori is dead and she is buried in a shallow grave. Suspicion is thrown on Adele when the police find out that she and Tori had a fight the night Tori died. Add in that Adele doesn't have an alibi, she becomes the prime suspect. Adele must work with Tori's ghost to find the real killer.  

Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 400 pages

I could not put this book down at all! There was mystery, a kidnapping, a masquerade ball, and plot twists. This is a must read! I was able to get an advanced reader’s copy thanks to NetGalley.

Sawyer Taft signs a contract with her grandmother stating that if she lives with her for 9 months, Sawyer will get $500,000. The catch, she must spend that time as a debutante. Sawyer never knew her mother’s family, it was just her and her mother. However, amidst the masquerade ball, scavenger hunt, and other not so legal activities, Sawyer grows closer to her cousin Lily and Lily’s best friend, Sadie Grace. Sawyer does have an ulterior motive for coming to stay with her grandmother. She is in search for her biological father.

People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins 448 pages

I have never read a book by Ellen Hopkins before. I found this one interesting. The story is told in verse and narrative. The narrative follows six teens living in Tuscon, Arizona. Each teen has a different idea on gun control and immigration. In the span of a week, all of their lives are changed. Someone will shot a gun and someone will be shot. Who will it be?

See, the absolute truth is people do kill people. A gun just makes it easier. 

I received an Advance Reader's Copy thanks to NetGalley. 

#MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil 352 pages

I can’t believe that I finished this book in only two days. I’m actually surprised I finished it at all. The description of this book intrigued me but when I started reading, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it. It’s intense, suspenseful, and gruesome at times. I just couldn’t stop! I would recommend to teens who are not afraid of horror movies. Warning: this is not for the faint of heart!

Dee Guerrera wakes up in a dimly lit warehouse wearing a ballgown. She has been transferred to Alcatraz 2.0, a prison island where convicted felons are hunted and killed live on the Postman app.  Dee's only goal is to stay alive long enough to clear her name. She was accused of killing her step-sister. Dee teams up with other teens on the island, where they are deemed the Death Row Breakfast Club. Will they be able to clear Dee's name or will the Postman's executioners get to them first?  

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy thanks to NetGalley. 

Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Myers 416 pages

Think National Treasure, add in some 39 Clues and you get Inherit Midnight. The main character Avery is on an adventure solving puzzles and riddles trying to solve her grandmother's clues. Avery's grandmother is very wealthy but also sick. Instead of naming a heir, members of the family must travel the world learning about their family history. This is a nominee for the Gateway Readers' Award and a great read for young adults. 

Killer Instinct by S.E. Green 272 pages

If you liked the T.V. show Dexter, you will like this book. Lane is the teenage girl version of Dexter. She has a secret obsession with serial killers. When a serial killer comes to her hometown, Lane gets involved in the hunt. 

This was read by Emily Woo Zeller. 

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco 336 pages

Being a fan of historical fictional and true crime, I was fascinated with this book. Audrey Rose Wadsworth is not your conventional lord’s daughter. She is fascinated more with science and death than teas and dress fittings. As Jack the Ripper’s victims turn up on her uncle’s autopsy table, Audrey Rose is determined to find their killer.

This was read by Nicola Barber. 

Jackaby by William Ritter 304 pages

Jackaby is a quirky detective story that is a mixture of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who, which I am a fan of both. It takes place in New Fiddleham, New England in 1892. Abigail Rook needs a job and discovers a flier for an assistant job for R.F. Jackaby, an investigator with the ability to see the supernatural.

This was read by Nicola Barber.  

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick 400 pages

Britt has been training to hike the Teton Range over spring break with her best friend Korbie. Britt knew that Korbie's boyfriend Bear was going to join them, but she was unprepared for Korbie's brother, Calvin who is Britt's ex-boyfriend. As Britt and Korbie head up to the mountain, they get stuck in a snow storm in the middle of the road. The girls decide to get out and look for help. They come across a cabin where two men are staying. At first, they seem like they are going to help until the hold the girls hostage. Britt is forced become their guide off the mountain. Britt must do what she has to, to survive. She tries to escape, but is caught by Mason. When they walk back to the cabin where they were staying, Britt sees Calvin kill her other kidnapper. Britt just thinks that Calvin is worried about her and will do anything to find her. But when Britt arrives to Korbie's and Calvin's family cabin, learns a secret while on the  her in more danger than before. Who will make it off the mountain alive?  

The Stars of Summer by Tara Dairman 352 pages

Gladys Gatsby is turning twelve and for her birthday, she receives a counselor-in-training position at the day camp in town from her friend Charissa. Gladys did not envision her summer at day camp. She would rather be at the library looking through cookbooks or thinking about her next restaurant review for the New York Standard. At least she gets to work in the kitchen, however, she and the cook have opposite views on good food. So while Gladys is dealing with the camp cook, she learns that her next review is to find the best hotdog in New York. How is Gladys supposed to visit all the different hotdog vendors in New York and still make her deadline with her editor?

This was read by Kathleen McInerney. 

All Fall Down by Ally Carter 320 pages

When Grace was thirteen, she witnessed the death of her mother. Everyone believes that she died because of a fire, but Grace is adamant that her mother was killed by a man with a scarred face. When Grace moves to Embassy Row to live with her grandfather, she believes that she has found her mother's killer, but no one believes her. Not her grandfather, her new friends, or Alexei, the boy Russian boy next door. When Grace starts to follow the scarred man, she discovers things about herself that she is not ready to face. Grace confronts her grandfather but he keeps declaring that her mother's death was an accident. She finally learns the truth about her mother's death. 

This was read by Eileen Stevens. 

The Eagle's Quill by Sarah L. Thomson 224 pages

After finding Benjamin Franklin's original key that he discovered lightning with, Sam, Marty, and Theo are headed to Glacier National Park in search of their second Founding Fathers' key. They are lead to a Montana Ranch in search of Thomas Jefferson's quill that he used to sign the Declaration of Independence. Not far behind them is Gideon Arnold, who kidnaps their chaperone and the ranch owners. Sam, Marty, and Theo must work together with Abby, the daughter of the ranchers. In order to get the adults back, the group must find the quill and give it to Gideon. They enter the wilderness where they encounter a bear, a mountain lion, and the waterfall. Will they be able to find the quill and keep everyone save? Again, this was another fast read with interesting historical facts. 

The Eureka Key by Sarah L. Thomson 240 pages

Sam is a master at puzzles. When he wins a contest, Sam learns that he will get to travel across America for the summer. What Sam didn't know is that he would be taking this trip with Martina, a history buff, and Theo, a descendant of George Washington. Sam was recruited to help solve puzzles and clues that were left behind by the Founding Fathers of America. The Founding Fathers left seven keys that will unlock an invention created by Benjamin Franklin, a secret weapon that would help defend the U.S. While Sam, Marty, and Theo are looking for their first key in Death Valley, they come across a group of thugs who are working for Gideon Arnold, a descendant of Benedict Arnold. Together, Sam, Marty, and Theo must work together to make it out of a secret cave while searching for the key. This book is a fast read and reminds me of National Treasure. 

The Rules by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie 352 pages

The best of Callabrese High have come together for a final scavenger hunt put on by August DeYoung and he wants to make sure that it is one that they remember. August believes that many of the invitees played a part in his sister's death and he wants them to admit to it. Secrets are coming to light when the teens start completing their tasks. But after a while, players start turning up dead. After witnessing a fellow player being pushed out of a loft from a hangman's noose, the remaining members of the scavenger hunt learn that they are playing by the rules of someone else's game. They have to break the rules to survive but can they make it out alive?

This was read by Robbie Daymond and follows multiple point of views.

Twisted by Hannah Jayne 320 pages

Bex Andrews is moved across the state of North Carolina to escape her past of being Beth Anne Reimer, a daughter of a serial killer. Beth Anne was seven years old when her father went on the run from the law, leaving her with her grandmother. In Raleigh, Beth Anne was picked on by other kids and was called a murderer like her father. When Bex moves to Kill Devil, she wants no one to know about her past. She has become a normal girl with two foster parents who treat her like their own and friends. She is afraid to let them know who she really is, because she knows that they will hate her like everyone else has. But you can never really escape your past and there are girls turning up murdered. Bex is approached by Detective Schuster, who she knew back in Raleigh. Detective Schuster wants Bex to reach out to her father and bring him out off hiding. Bex takes to the internet and is approached by her father. Her father is in Kill Devil and wants to take Bex with him and run away again. Who should Bex trust her father or Detective Schuster? 

The Dare by Hannah Jayne 288 pages

Erica was Brynna's best friend. When Brynna dares Erica to jump off the pier into the ocean, Erica never resurfaces. Brynna blames herself and she goes off the deep end into drinking and drugs. After wrecking her mother's car, Brynna is sent to rehab. Brynna's parents feel that a move is what is best for Brynna. Brynna decides to stay off the radar at her new school, but plans change when she meets Evan on the first day. For the first 6 weeks of school, Brynna thought she could be normal again. All of a sudden, Brynna receives a tweet from Erica, asking if Brynna remembers her. How can she receive a tweet from a dead girl? Brynna is convinced that Erica is alive. So much that she is driving herself crazy. Is Brynna crazy or is Erica really alive? And if it isn't Erica, then who is terrorizing Brnna?

What Waits in the Woods by Kieran Scott 228 pages

Callie and her two friends go on a camping trip for 5 days in the woods. Callie's boyfriend Jeremy tags along, even though it was supposed to be a girls-only camping trip. Callie is a city girl and this is her first time camping. When Penelope and Lissa tell her the tale of the Skinner, Callie freaks out. Why would these girls bring her on a trip, when there is a killer in the woods? Ever since then, Callie believes that someone is following them. After getting lost on the trails, the group comes across a stranger, Ted, who agrees to help them. Strange things start to happen, Callie helps hearing a laughter, 5 dolls appear in the fire pit, and they have even seen a figure moving in the trees. When Lissa comes up dead, no one knows who they can trust. Will Callie make it out of the woods alive and will the killer be found?   

The Naturals Series (The Naturals, Killer Instinct, All In, and Bad Blood) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 1,472 pages

Cassie is considered a "Natural". At seventeen, Cassie is recruited to the Naturals program in the FBI, to become a profiler. Cassie is assigned to help with cold cases. She moves into a house with four other kids in Quantico, Virginia. Everyone has something that they are good at. Michael can read people's emotions, Lia is a human lie detector, Sloane is great with numbers and statistics and Dean, like Cassie, can read people. 

Cassie recognizes that a serial killer is killing women that look similar to her mother. Soon, Cassie is being targeted by that killer. It turns out that Cassie mentor, is her mother's younger sister as well as the killer. Soon, Cassie and the others are soon given active cases that tends to put them in dangerous situations. As the books progress, Cassie learns more about her mother's murder. 

These books had me hooked within the first chapter. These books are intense and they get into the minds of serial killers. I had a hard time putting them down. Heck, I read the first 3 books within a week! If you like the t.v. show Criminal Minds, this is book series for you. 

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein 329 pages

Zac and his family move to his father's hometown. On their property is a tree that has a mean-hearted spirit. Fifty years ago, Clint ran a bus off the road killing everyone but one person. Since then, their spirits have haunted the town of North Chester. It is up to Zac and his new step-mother, Judy, to rid the town of Clint's spirit. 

When I first heard of Chris Grabenstein, I only thought that he wrote funny books, but I was wrong. When I met him back in March, I learned that he also wrote ghost stories. I was excited to see another side of Chris Grabenstein. The Crossroads was a hard book to put down. 

The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 400 pages

Tess Kendrick has lived with her grandfather ever since her parents died, but when he gets dementia, Tess is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy. Tess has no idea that her sister is the famed "fixer" of Washington, D.C., however, when she school at Hardwicke, she soon learns what it means to be a fixer. After Tess helps a girl with her problem, everyone starts coming to Tess for help. 

When a Supreme Court Justice dies in surgery, Tess's friend Vivvie comes to Tess and to confess that she believes that her father killed him. Tess brings Ivy into the investigation and secrets start coming to light. When Tess is kidnapped by a secret service agent, she learns her biggest truth yet - Ivy is really her mom. Ivy exchanges herself for Tess and Tess must make a deal with the devil to get her back. 

If you like the t.v. show Scandal, you will like this book.