The Executioners Three

Strange sounds in the woods near 17-year-old Frederica “Freddie” Gellar’s historic hometown, City-on-the-Berme, prompt her to call the police—which results in a party bust and the arrests of several students from Allard Fortin Preparatory School, including Theo Porter, a “Very Bad Human Indeed.” Freddie’s low profile at her own Berm High School changes overnight when her popular Prank Squad classmates dub her the Prank Wizard and invite her to join their escalating prank war with Fortin Prep. When Freddie finds a dead body in the woods, however, she realizes the strange sounds she heard that night may not have been the drunken shouts of local teenagers but something much more sinister. Now, Freddie has a mystery to solve, a reputation to uphold, and a nemesis to avoid, even if that nemesis makes her heart flutter. After a second body, this time decapitated, is discovered, Freddie connects the deaths to a poem that’s linked to the lore behind City-on-the-Berme. As the threat grows, Freddie must uncover the truth to protect her friends and family, even if it means asking Theo for help. Humorous banter fuels the growing spark between Freddie and Theo in this campy, action-packed thriller by Dennard (The Hunting Moon). Pop culture references from the 1990s anchor the novel’s setting. The protagonists cue as white. Ages 13–up. Agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary. (Aug.)