by Christina Li
First published 2026
Amelia Wu has perfected the art of deception. She maintains three separate relationships with three different boys, presenting herself as Amy to the debate team captain, Ellie to the indie filmmaker, and Mia to the tennis star. Each boyfriend believes he has her complete devotion, while Amelia enjoys triple the expensive dinners, yacht trips, and gifts. Her system works flawlessly until her best friend is murdered, sending shockwaves through their quiet beachside town. The investigation threatens to expose Amelia's elaborate web of lies as her three relationships begin colliding in dangerous ways. Desperate to protect her secrets, Amelia forms an unlikely partnership with Jackie, her academic rival who edits the school newspaper and obsesses over true crime cases. Together they dig into the murder, but Amelia must navigate between keeping her boyfriends satisfied and her new ally close. Her survival depends on maintaining the very deceptions that could destroy her.
Genres: drama, mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller, young-adult
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, gritty, morally-complex, suspenseful, tension-filled
Tropes: enemies-to-allies, murder-mystery, secrets-and-lies, unreliable-narrator
Setting: beachside town
256 pages · Paperback · Penguin Workshop
Content warnings: murder