Gossip Girl, Psycho Killer

“It’s a luxe life, but someone’s got to live it... until they die.” Von Ziegesar climbs aboard the mashup train, turning her original Gossip Girl novel into a crime scene. Blair, Serena, and crew are back, as the author twists the events of the first book to include one gory, over-the-top death after another. Serena has returned to town from boarding school (where she dispatched several classmates), and her next target is Nate; she doctors his pot stash with squirrel poison. Meanwhile, Blair is busy hating her mother’s boyfriend (“Cyrus Rose was a completely annoying, fat loser who deserved to die—by strangulation perhaps, after getting his bulbous neck stuck in the cord of his horrible red silk bathrobe”), wondering whether to go all the way with Nate, and tiring of playing second fiddle to Serena. The body count is through the roof; it’s clear that von Ziegesar had fun with this one, and diehard fans will undoubtedly enjoy seeing their favorite self-absorbed characters take on murderous traits as well. These bestselling books have been a guilty pleasure since day one—this one’s just guilty of a lot more. Ages 15–up. (Oct.)