We're coming to the end of October, the spookiest season, but it's still the perfect time to curl up with a murder mystery while watching the leaves fall. There’s nothing better than a spooky book and a theorizing mind to get readers in the Halloween spirit.
One of my favorite mystery authors Natasha Preston. Born and raised in England, she has always had an appreciation for darker books and movies. She’s written a number of revered murder mystery novels and is especially famous for her mind-boggling twists and cliffhangers, leaving readers speechless and hoping for more. Despite fans pleading, she’s never written a sequel, and says she never plans to, so be forewarned! This month’s column will cover three of her most popular and attention-grabbing murder mysteries, "The Party," "The Haunting," and "The Dare." So cozy up, lock the doors, and try to solve the case.
"The Haunting" is a spine-chilling, slightly unsettling story of a cursed town. The novel follows the protagonist Penny through a maze of uncertainty as she navigates her feelings for her ex-boyfriend, Nash, a year after his father murdered four teenagers the previous Halloween. The town, shaken by tragedy, isolated Nash and his sister, Grace, when the truth about their father was revealed.
Penny was forced to break up with Nash through the turmoil his father caused, never fully forgiving herself for it. Throwing herself into Halloween activities, Penny attempts to distract herself through costume shopping with friends. It works for a while, until she sees something ooze out from under the dressing room door. That’s when she sees it. On the anniversary of the first teenager's death, it seems another high school student fell victim to the same fate, stabbed to death on the dressing room floor.
Citizens of the town are quick to push blame on Nash and Grace, suggesting they must be killers just like their father. But Penny knows Nash and Grace, and can’t shake the feeling that the murder was more than just a deranged teenager taking after Daddy. As Halloween creeps closer, hysteria and accusations rise as the killer begins to add to their body count on the same days Nash's father had. Determined to prove his innocence, Nash and Penny team up to track down the real killer, who is closer than either of them think.
"The Dare," another Natasha Preston classic, follows a chain events that lead to an unexpected and unintentional murder. In Marley's hometown, all high-school seniors are required to complete a prank as part of their end of school experience, a dare, if you will. This tradition was started by the Wilder brothers, rich and spoiled teens with a thirst for chaos. If someone fails to complete their dare, the Wilder brothers are known to start rumors, and use their connections to wreck a student’s life. Every high schooler is afraid of what might happen to them if their dare goes uncompleted, Marley included.
So when Rhett – her childhood best friend turned arch-nemesis gives a dare that Marley and her friends must complete, they feel obligated to carry it out. Following their first completely illegal and frightening dare, Marley believes her friends are in the clear. That is until Rhett assigns the group another challenge: no-headlight driving, at night. Fearing for their reputation and college acceptances, the group fights over whether or not to let the dare fizzle out, but agree to take it on. They set out on an unclear night, fear and determination etched in their hearts. A minute or two of driving without headlights wouldn’t kill anyone, according to Marley’s friends. But then a few fateful moments change the course of the teens’ lives forever.
The last and final book for this column is "The Party," my favorite by this author, the twists and turns of the chase make it impossible to put down. The book centers on Bessie, a cautious boarding school student, and her group of friends. At the beginning of spring break, Bessie and her friends plan a party that will exceed all others, set in an abandoned castle. The plan is to throw a huge bash at the castle, then sneakily stay for the entire spring break. Bessie and her best friend, Kash, are apprehensive about the prospect, but are persuaded by their friends.
The friends make it to the humongous stone castle through parental deception and lots of hope, and begin to set up the party. Everything is going well: The balloons are filled, the banners are hung, and the alcohol supply seems to be endless. Then the sky turns black, and a deadly storm begins to brew. The prospects of a party seem to dim as hours tick by and the wind picks up. Left instead are a group of scared teenagers, trapped inside a huge dark castle with no way out. Attempting to calm themselves, they turn in early, hoping the storm will let up by morning. When Bessie wakes, the storm is still going strong, and one of her friends, Jia, has stopped breathing. Frantic and unprepared, the friends attempt to help, but it is too late. Jia is dead. As the storm begins to worsen and the body count begins to rise, Bessie is forced to view all of her friends as suspects, and realizes that she may be the next victim.
These three books suck readers right into worlds of small-town mysteries, fear-filled coverups, and castle-bound murders, but because of their mature themes, I would not recommend them for anyone under 12.
I'm always open to book suggestions. You can email me at [email protected].
Happy reading.