All These Bodies

Through an assured voice and a vividly wrought small-town atmosphere, Blake (the Three Dark Crowns series) swiftly draws readers into this tense historical thriller inspired by a real-life murder spree. In the summer of 1958, the Bloodless Murders, so dubbed for the string of human victims found drained of their blood, strikes fear in the Midwest. When the bodies of the Carlson family are discovered in Black Deer Falls, Minn., there’s a break in the case in the form of Marie Catherine Hale, 15 and white, who’s found covered in blood at the scene of the crime. As the public pressure for answers mounts, Marie—in custody at the local jail—will only speak with 17-year-old Michael Jensen, a white aspiring journalist who’s also the sheriff’s son. After she offers up an impossible-seeming explanation, truth-obsessed Michael must determine whether she’s being honest or exploiting his trust in her. Though the duo’s taut back-and-forth can feel repetitive, the prosecutor’s push to try Marie in a state where she’s eligible for the death penalty keeps the stakes high throughout this well-crafted mystery for fans of In Cold Blood and None Shall Sleep. Ages 14–up. Agent: Adriann Ranta Zurhellen, Foundry Literary + Media. (Sept.)