Part of Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus, book 20
First published 2012
Detective Peter Decker stares at fifteen-year-old Gregory Hesse's body, a single gunshot wound to the head. The coroner calls it suicide, but Gregory's mother demands a real investigation. Decker knows teenagers hide dangerous secrets. He should know better than most since he and his wife Rina recently took in Gabe Whitman, a brilliant but troubled teen whose parents abandoned him. When a sixteen-year-old girl from the same elite high school kills herself weeks later, Decker digs deeper into the world of privileged teenagers. His investigation reveals twisted loyalties and corrupt relationships among the students. The case grows more dangerous when Gabe's father returns. Chris Donnatti is a former assassin who brings violence wherever he goes. Decker must navigate deadly family secrets while uncovering what drove two teenagers to death.
Genres: mystery, crime, detective, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Elite High School
384 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: suicide, violence