While the cover art feels campy, the story within is packed with complex characters, tightly plotted threads and last-page twists.

I have a great review to end Murder Mystery March. It feels like I just started this series the other day, and now I’m on the last review But this is not a time for tears. Author Kara Thomas ( The Darkest Corners) is adept at crafting satisfyingly dark YA thrillers. Y’all, it’s the last week of Murder Mystery March. Unanswered questions and lingering doubts regarding Jen’s death propel Monica to follow all leads like a seasoned private investigator, but she still juggles typical teen concerns such as dance team, friend squabbles and an understandably tense home life. Just as Monica fiercely guards her secrets, so did the cheerleaders. Thomas continues to demonstrate command of both the inner workings of a teenage mind and the. When Monica discovers Jen’s old cellphone locked in her stepfather’s desk drawer, she begins an investigation of her own. There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook. And then the ending just kills you so yeah. As I began reading The Cheerleaders, I already had this creeping, sinking feeling of dread, which never ended until the story did. But when she learns that her police officer stepfather is hiding crucial evidence regarding the murders, she begins to wonder if the wrong person went down for the crime. What I love about Kara’s books is that they’re realistic thrillers they are situations you might turn on the news and see. She’s recovering from an abortion, and the man she had been sleeping with is now a coach at her high school. Her sister, Jen, was the cheerleader who died by suicide.Īnd on the anniversary of the girls’ deaths, Monica feels like her own life is unraveling. Tragic coincidence or a planned attack? That’s what 16-year-old Monica Rayburn is trying to uncover. Two were killed in a car accident, two were murdered and one killed herself. Five years ago, in a sleepy Long Island town, five cheerleaders died within one month’s time.

Kara thomas the cheerleaders