Girls Who Play Dead

A Black teenager works to uncover the truth behind a peer’s death in this socially conscious murder mystery by Wellington (The Blonde Dies First). When Kyla’s best friend, Erin, dies after being thrown off a cliff by an unknown assailant, Kyla’s older brother Mikky returns to the siblings’ hometown of Prophets Lake, Mass., to help her cope. Following an emotional breakdown three years ago, Mikky left to live with their estranged mother in Boston. He’s therefore surprised to find that Kyla is nothing like the sister he remembers: she’s secretive, sometimes cruel, and seems only interested in emulating Erin’s beauty influencer persona. Mikky resolves to find out what happened to Erin, but the only clue he has to work from involves mysterious “Test Kitchens,” which might be connected to the beauty products developed by Prophets Lake’s most prominent business, Cook’s Cosmetics. As Mikky dives deeper into the history surrounding Cook’s, he stumbles across a conspiracy that threatens all of Prophets Lake. Penetrating interrogations of grief, mental health, and the role one’s outward image plays in public perception elevate the overarching narrative, which Wellington presents with refreshing matter-of-factness across a sharp omniscient POV. Ages 14–up. Agent: Quressa Robinson, Folio Literary. (Nov.)