Murder on a School Night

Channeling the 1980s cult classic Heathers right down to the croquet set, Weston (Diary of a Confused Feminist) flaunts cozy English charm and puerile slapstick comedy in this propulsive mystery. Unpopular aspiring journalist Kerry would rather be enjoying a peaceful rom-com movie marathon at home than attending the party where she finds that fellow high school senior Selena, a member of the Les Populaires clique, has been suffocated with a menstrual cup. Desperate to clear her name, classmate and party host Heather Stevens—leader of Les Populaires and heir to her family’s V-Lyte period product fortune—hires Kerry and her equally unpopular best friend Annie, an amateur sleuth, to investigate Selena’s death. While Annie is convinced this is their ticket into the popular crowd, Kerry worries after her friend’s increasingly risky maneuvers around solving the crime. When two more deaths occur, the friends debate whether their investigation is worth their own safety. Though the banter sometimes feels outdated (“kills my lady boner”), the girls’ chemistry as best friends and partners-in-crime-solving is energizing. Refreshing attention to sex positivity and period politics combined with Weston’s timing—both comedic and plot driven—ensure a laugh-out-loud romp. Most characters read as white. Ages 14–up. (July)