It has been a year since The Catalog Killer terrorized the seaside town of Camera Cove, killing four people including a teenager, Connor. Mac and three other kids from the same neighborhood were friends with Connor since they were very young. Now they are graduating from high school and still very much missing Connor.
Mac, in particular, is having a difficult time. The killer was never caught but is believed to be a drifter that left the area. Mac decides to open a bag of comic books that Connor left him on the day he was killed. Mac hasn't been able to look at them. Now, when he opens the bag, he finds a note from Connor asking him to meet him that night. Mac feels guilty -- maybe he could have saved Connor from the murderer? Mac takes the note to the police but doesn't get any reassurance that it will help them find the serial killer, who left a picture from a catalog with each of his victims.
This begins Mac's determination to begin his own investigation into what happened to Connor and the other victims.
The story has many twists, as Mac finds little clues that cause him to change his mind several times about who the killer might be. He teams up with the cousin of another victim, Quill, who also wants to find out what happened. Quill also provides the romantic aspect of the plot. Mac also gets some assistance from Connor's other friends.
Mac is homosexual and the relationship is cute, well done, and doesn't overpower the plot. It is nice that both sets of parents are totally supportive of their sons. The writing is easy to read, and the plot moves quickly making this appropriate for younger teens.
I was totally blindsided by the eventual revelation of the killer. Well done, Mr. Ryan! Teen mystery fans will enjoy this one very much.
Published by AW Teen, May 21, 2019
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
320 pages
Rating: 4/5
This sounds great! I love it when a mystery can surprise you. Great review!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good one. I like a mystery that keeps me guessing.
ReplyDeleteA fun teen mystery / thriller sounds good to me. I'll add this one to my list.
ReplyDelete