The Counselors

The well-written characters of Goodman’s (They’ll Never Catch Us) mystery give new life, and crossover appeal, to a well-trod New England summer camp setting. Camp Alpine Lake, situated outside a small Vermont town, draws its campers from the ranks of the wealthy, and three of its longtime campers, now incoming counselors, have been best friends for a decade. Goldie Easton—18, presumed white, and the group’s only townie—attends the camp tuition-free thanks to her parents’ employment in the camp’s infirmary and woodshop; she also harbors a secret concerning her hockey captain ex-boyfriend. With the arrival of white New Yorker Ava Cantor, progeny of an influential financier, and talented biracial (Japanese and white) Imogen Wexler, an actor from New Jersey, the recently out-of-touch friends get into the spirit of maintenance week: “No campers, no responsibilities.” After campers arrive and a local is found dead at the camp’s lake, though, the intrepid trio face growing danger as they try to solve sundry mysteries. A candid first-person narration alternates between past and present, interweaving summer hijinks with more serious fare, building a cast of intelligent, funny young women and a setting that offers many pleasures of the camp-thriller subgenre. Ages 14–up. Agent: Alyssa Reuben, WME. (May)