cover image Prep School Confidential

Prep School Confidential

Kara Taylor. St. Martin's Griffin/Dunne, $9.99 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-1-250-01759-8

Trouble seems to follow high school junior Anne Dowling wherever she goes. In this case, it's from a New York City prep school (she was kicked out for accidentally setting the auditorium on fire) to Wheatley Prep outside Boston. Anne is accustomed to getting away with dubious behavior, but what she's not is preppy, a snob, or old money, which makes her an instant outsider and source of intrigue for her fellow classmates. When her secretive roommate is murdered, every student at school is a suspect, starting with witchy Alexis Westbrook and Anne herself, the last one to see Isabella alive. Anne's honest and whip-smart voice demonstrates her strength of character and intuition as she observes the differences between the elite of New York City and Boston. In this first book in a planned series, first-time author Taylor blends thriller and contemporary fiction elements in a tightly developed plot. Anne's romance with two boys from vastly different social backgrounds offers insight into the heroine's conflicted, yet emerging sense of morality. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Aug.)