This Is W.A.R.

The Roecker sisters (the Liar Society books) weave money, power, and secrets into this suspenseful story of four teenage girls determined to avenge their friend’s murder. Beautiful, rich Willa Ames-Rowan saw good in everyone. That’s why her sudden drowning the summer before her senior year has everyone at the prestigious Hawthorne Lake Country Club mourning, but afraid to point fingers at the most probable culprits: the owner’s grandsons, James and Trip Gregory. James and Trip won “the genetic jackpot” and are ridiculously wealthy, and their every mistake is erased by their controlling grandfather. But now they’ve almost certainly committed murder, and Willa’s friends—steely Madge (Willa’s sister), rebellious Lina, bookish outcast Rose, and insecure Sloane—want justice. The authors skillfully build tension and suspicion, and the girls’ voices shine through as they take turns remembering the night of Willa’s death and unveiling their own secrets. What isn’t clear is a motive, which remains as murky as the lake Willa drowned in. Still, readers will find bits of themselves in these girls and eagerly follow them as they uncover the truth. Ages 14–up. Agent: Catherine Drayton, Inkwell Management. (July)