The Assassin Game

Umfraville Hall, an exclusive boarding school on the windswept Welsh island of Skola, is an ideal setting for a mystery that takes a few cues from Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. The Assassins’ Guild, a secret society, is ready to start its annual game of Killer, and the rules are simple: one Killer is chosen, who may “kill” other members using “wacky-but-child-friendly” methods (“Death by gassing with a stink bomb in the common room. Death by ‘suffocation’ with a duct-taped duvet”). Sixteen-year-old Cate, newly initiated into the Guild, can’t wait to play Killer, but when her childhood friend Vaughan insinuates himself into the game, and the “kills” start getting out of hand, what should be harmless fun turns deadly serious. McKay (Undead) pokes a bit of fun at teen angst, using Cate’s wry voice to tell this twisty whodunit. Her narrow viewpoint intensifies the tension as she tries to stay ahead of the Killer, and although readers may guess the culprit before the final revelation, they probably won’t care, since it’s so much fun getting there. Ages 12–up. Agent: Allison Hellegers, Rights People. (Aug.)