cover image Nobody Knows but You

Nobody Knows but You

Anica Mrose Rissi. Quill Tree, $17.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-0626-8531-5

Rissi (Always Forever Maybe) intersperses news reports, eyewitness testimony, personal letters and texts, and court transcripts to recount the eight summer weeks that led to a brutal murder at Camp Cavanick (“A Summer of Fun. A Lifetime of Memories”). Wallflower Kayla Martin meets live-wire Lainie Baxter during camp’s first week, the 16-year-olds immediately bonding over late-night tell-alls at the dock, discussing crime show tropes (“The first rule of crime is: Always Destroy the Evidence”) and telling outrageous stories meant to entertain other campers. Convinced that the two only need each other, Kayla is surprised when “nerd hot” Jackson starts seeing Lainie, wanting her to be “fun and accommodating and easy.” Despite her attempts to expose Jackson’s heartless ways, Kayla becomes the third wheel until Lainie’s murder puts an end to camp altogether. Now home, Kayla pieces together what happened before the “Summer Camp Slayer” appeared, but her confessional letters to Lainie hint at something more ominous. While camp life minutiae will feel excessive to some, and jaw-dropping twists may lead readers to guess the conclusion, exceptional pacing creates a breathless, adrenaline-filled chase through Kayla’s memories. Ages 13–up. Agent: Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, DeFiore and Co. (Sept.)