A school project on a five-year-old murder cracks a town's perfect alibi.
Who drives the story
A seventeen-year-old straight-A student who picks a closed murder case as her school project because she can't accept the official answer. Her digging exposes a town-wide cover-up and nearly costs her her life.
Sal's younger brother, living under the shadow of a crime his brother didn't commit. Wary at first, he becomes Pip's partner in the investigation and finally gets his brother's name cleared.
The popular senior whose disappearance five years ago became Little Kilton's defining story. Secretly dealing drugs and entangled with older men, she was far more complicated than the town's memory of her.
Andie's boyfriend, blamed for her murder and death for five years. His coerced 'confession' note and his family's suffering drive the whole investigation.
Also in the story
Andie's younger sister and the last person to see her alive. Her confession about the accidental death and cover-up cracks the case open.
Andie and Becca's father, who disposed of Andie's body and helped frame Sal. He threatens Pip before Ravi and the police stop him.
A history teacher and Cara's father, secretly involved with Andie. He admits seeing her the night she vanished but claims she was alive when he left.
A wealthy, arrogant classmate who was with Andie at a party the night she disappeared. Pip records his confession on her phone.
The local drug dealer who reveals Andie was selling for him to pay off a debt, and that she was upset the last night he saw her.
Pip's dog, killed when an unknown assailant attacks her at home. His death makes the danger to Pip brutally real.
How they are connected
Sal's younger brother, living under the shadow of a crime his brother didn't commit.
Andie's boyfriend, blamed for her murder and death for five years.
Andie's younger sister and the last person to see her alive.
Andie and Becca's father, who disposed of Andie's body and helped frame Sal.
Andie and Becca's father, who disposed of Andie's body and helped frame Sal.
Andie and Becca's father, who disposed of Andie's body and helped frame Sal.
He threatens Pip before Ravi and the police stop him.
A history teacher and Cara's father, secretly involved with Andie.
A wealthy, arrogant classmate who was with Andie at a party the night she disappeared.
The local drug dealer who reveals Andie was selling for him to pay off a debt, and that she was upset the last night he saw her.
Go deeper
The certainty of a town · Secrets as leverage · Innocence destroyed by procedure · The cost of digging
Themes explainedThe full story act by act, the ending explained and a quick quiz.
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