The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman (2025)
There are worse things than attending an exclusive Prep School for the sons and daughters of the Uppercrust. but given the horrible things that occur there in YA thrillers, I'm not so sure.
But let me give credit to author Jessica Goodman - even though I wasn't inclined to care one millimeter about any of these student-suspects, the book's brutal murders and search for the killer hooked me from start to finish. And the deeper I got into it, I began to admire the story's perceptive takes on the nature of friendship, the clash of the super-rich with everybody below them and role of journalism in a society feeding on tabloid sound bites.
The Meadowbrook school's rocked by the stabbing deaths of seniors Sarah and Ryan, both found in bed together by Amy, the girl's traumatized roommate. Budding school newspaper editor Liz is determined to use her investigative instincts to uncover the truth, but she's kept on a tight leash by her advisor and the Meadowbrook Headmaster. They much prefer uplifting stories about how the school's coping with such horrific tragedy.
Absolutely no more should I spill, plot-wise, other than to say there's no shortage of suspects as the startling reveals and twists begin to unfold. And of course, on top of the mystery, a reader can sample a full menu of YA romantic betrayals, as well as friendships and rivalries that date back to childhood. It's fascinating to watch the back-and-forth clashes of the wealthy entitled Amy and middle class struggler Liz, right up to the expected melodramatic climax.
While not the most puzzling or clever of murder mysteries, this book surely succeeded in keeping me turning those pages until the perp's at last unmasked in a more than satisfying finale, and a well done aftermath, both poignant and realistic.
Maybe the next book in this genre could be "How to attend Prep School and still come out alive."
But let me give credit to author Jessica Goodman - even though I wasn't inclined to care one millimeter about any of these student-suspects, the book's brutal murders and search for the killer hooked me from start to finish. And the deeper I got into it, I began to admire the story's perceptive takes on the nature of friendship, the clash of the super-rich with everybody below them and role of journalism in a society feeding on tabloid sound bites.
The Meadowbrook school's rocked by the stabbing deaths of seniors Sarah and Ryan, both found in bed together by Amy, the girl's traumatized roommate. Budding school newspaper editor Liz is determined to use her investigative instincts to uncover the truth, but she's kept on a tight leash by her advisor and the Meadowbrook Headmaster. They much prefer uplifting stories about how the school's coping with such horrific tragedy.
Absolutely no more should I spill, plot-wise, other than to say there's no shortage of suspects as the startling reveals and twists begin to unfold. And of course, on top of the mystery, a reader can sample a full menu of YA romantic betrayals, as well as friendships and rivalries that date back to childhood. It's fascinating to watch the back-and-forth clashes of the wealthy entitled Amy and middle class struggler Liz, right up to the expected melodramatic climax.
While not the most puzzling or clever of murder mysteries, this book surely succeeded in keeping me turning those pages until the perp's at last unmasked in a more than satisfying finale, and a well done aftermath, both poignant and realistic.
Maybe the next book in this genre could be "How to attend Prep School and still come out alive."
4 stars (****)
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