Please note that this post may contain spoilers for this book and that these opinions are my own.
Goodreads Synopsis The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it. But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?
Initial thoughts I love crime thriller books, I just don't read enough of them because I have an overactive imagination and once I've finished them I'm 100% convinced that someone is trying to break into my house while I sleep. Anyway, I hadn't heard of this book at all until I was looking for something to read on my holiday (you know, because the 50+ unread books I own just weren't going to cut it), and stumbled across this one. Although I didn't get around to reading it while I was away I read it when I got back and was instantly hooked. The book is told in different formats such as text messages and production logs., which I really like because I feel like it breaks the book up and sometimes makes it easier to take in all the information, especially when the book is very focused on the little details like this book was. Normally with crime thrillers I can guess quite early on who the killer is but this book had me second guessing every single action. I always thought I had figured the book out, coming up with my own theories only for them to be quickly shot down. It was a tense and emotional rollercoaster of a book which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Characters Pip is the girl I wish I could have been; smart, educationally focused and most of all brave. There is no way I could do any of what she did in this book. She's an extremely strong girl but Holly Jackson reminds us that she is only a teenager by some of the rash decisions she makes. She has a good group of friends who never really complain about how much time her project is taking up (which in my experience is a miracle) and has a really down to earth family, who never once really questions her friendship with Ravi, whose family has basically been shunned by the whole town. Ravi has to be my favourite character in this book. He's funny, he's smart and is completely adamant that his brother is innocent. When Pip started to consider that Sal was actually guilty my heart sunk because Ravi still carried that hope with him even after all those years, even when his parents had somewhat given up. I love how quickly their friendship grows and I'm glad that the book didn't focus too much on it because I think that would have really taken away from the suspense of the book.
Final Thoughts
I've been saying this a lot lately but I really loved this book. It was a gripping story that had me on edge with every turn of the page. I had so much trouble putting this book down and I love how in depth Holly Jackson made this world. I never felt like there was too much information and every little detail she put in I was analysing and wondering how it fit into the timeline of Andie Bell's disappearance. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA crime thrillers!
Rating: 5/5 stars
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