First published 2026
The annual Prodigy Ball at Button Manor ends with a corpse. Leontes Button, the billionaire who adopted five children and molded them into geniuses through his ruthless "Button Method," lies dead. His heirs remain trapped in the mansion while police investigate. Octavius earned his title "the Maestro" through musical brilliance. Fola became "the Brain" through intellectual prowess. Bilal achieved "the Olympian" through athletic dominance. Perdita gained recognition as "the Artist" through creative mastery. Romeo carries the burden of being labeled "the Failure." Each sibling harbors dangerous secrets that could destroy them. The other ball guests also conceal damaging truths. Leontes created many enemies during his rise to power, and any one of them might have killed him. The Button children must navigate police scrutiny while protecting themselves and uncovering which guest turned murderer. Their father's death forces them to confront the psychological damage his training inflicted and decide whether blood ties or survival matters more.
Genres: mystery, thriller, psychological-thriller, family-drama
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Button Manor
336 pages · Hardcover · Feiwel & Friends
Content warnings: abuse, mental-illness