Adolescent criminals seek the haul of a lifetime in a fantasyland at the beginning of its industrial age. Enter Iris Adams, Alice’s tutor. Iris has her own reasons for wanting to disappear, though unlike Alice, she doesn’t have the money or the means. That could be changed by the hefty reward Brooke’s grandmother is offering to anyone who can share information about her granddaughter’s whereabouts. The police are convinced Steve is the culprit, but Alice isn’t so sure, and with Iris on her side, she just might be able to prove her theory. A voice hisses out of the dark. Brooke Donovan’s voice, to be precise. Who apparently followed us, along with Kennedy and Park. Kennedy has her phone out, recording everything, Park hopping around behind the two of them excitedly. I . . .” What am I doing here? My fantasies about everyone begging for my forgiveness seem ridiculous now. The anger drains out of my body. I’m tired. Tired of holding myself up straight. Tired of all of this. “I’ll go.” Clearly, I’m not going to get whatever I was looking for from this place.

Liz Lawson (Author of The Agathas) - Goodreads Liz Lawson (Author of The Agathas) - Goodreads

Well,” I say, “I once saw a show about a guy who bludgeoned his mother to death in the kitchen and then cooked a full meal of pot roast and mashed potatoes, so anything is possible.” By the time I reach the first bend of road, though, there’s no one there, just the sound of the sea washing up against the cliffs below. I walk along Highway 1 and call her name, but I don’t get an answer. The mystery thrills and gratifies thanks to escalating stakes and devastating reveals."— Publishers WeeklyNow, with her gone, it’s quiet in my room. Too quiet. All I can think about is the fact that it’s Halloween night, and all my old friends are at the annual party at Levy Castle while I’m sit­ting here alone. Of course he called days later, sorry, crying, like he always does. My mother changed her number. Again. Part Agatha Christie, part Veronica Mars, and completely entertaining.”—Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Of Us Is Lying

THE AGATHAS | Kirkus Reviews

Liz Lawson Thanks so much for the question. These kids who experience school shootings are normally just left behind / forgotten by the media once the hype died …more Thanks so much for the question. These kids who experience school shootings are normally just left behind / forgotten by the media once the hype died down, and they're left with the gaping hole in their lives. I felt that exploring that was vitally important, and I hope my book helps some of those kids. It’s been here since before Castle Cove was even really a town, and all the property on the cliff side of the road used to belong to it—according to what I’ve heard from Kennedy, at one point it had like one hundred acres, all to itself. Legend has it that Brooke’s great-grandmother used to have a zoo on the property, with llamas and tigers and everything. I take deep breaths as I walk down Highway 1, wiping my face dry in the cold air, my heart a loud drum in my chest. Two high schoolers team up to investigate a classmate’s death and discover that their small California town is positively aboil with secrets. We stop a few feet away from my car, and he drops my arm. “Why did you come here, Alice?” he asks again.After falling from grace last summer, Agatha Christie-obsessed Alice Ogilvie needs to stay out of trouble. While smart and reclusive Iris Adams just wants to get the hell out of Castle Cove. Steve’s face softens, because of course it does, because he’s Steve and he’s too nice, even to me. “Alice, are you okay?” He puts his hand on my arm, gently this time. His face is close to mine and his eyes are kind. But it’s too late. I can feel his hands on my chest, pushing me. I’d wedged myself between them after he lunged at her. The snap in my wrist as I hit the linoleum.