Quiet and gruff Jess suspects her ebullient twin sister Anna's deadly fall from her bedroom window was no accident. Undertaking her own investigation, Jess enters her sister's world and discovers their small Montana town is full of people with secrets, including the person Jess thought she knew best. A suspenseful murder mystery and an examination of complex grief, Brunskill's debut will grip readers.

Even death can't break the bond of identical twins. In this debut novel, Jess sets out to uncover who was responsible for her sister's fatal fall.Jess knew that she was the one her parents worried about, the one her classmates found odd, the one who was private and didn't like to be touched. When her identical twin, Anna, is found lying dead beneath her window, everyone is quick to identify her fall as an unfortunate accident. Jess, who knew Anna better than anyone, suspects foul play, and she uses her observational skills to seek the truth. The task isn't easy when everyone in small-town Birdton, Montana, has their secrets—even Anna. In the process of getting to know her sister's friends, frenemies, and love interests, the perpetually misunderstood Jess develops her own bonds and begins to forge her own identity. All of the characters but one are white, and this becomes a key plot point in the story. Entries from Anna's diary interspersed with Jess' methodical first-person narration heighten the tension and fill in gaps, while plenty of red herrings keep readers guessing throughout Jess' investigation. Perhaps her biggest discovery, however, is that of Anna's love for her.A solid, quiet murder mystery for thoughtful readers. (Mystery. 14-18)

Anna and Jess were identical twins, but they were polar opposites: bubbly Anna ran track and had an active social life, while quiet, harder-edged Jess mostly kept to herself. Still, though, the sisters were best friends, and there were no secrets between them so Jess believed, until Anna died falling out of her bedroom window. Jess becomes obsessively entangled in the mystery of her sister's death, desperate to discover who Anna was sneaking out to see that night. But the more Jess digs, the more she learns just how dangerous Anna's secrets were, and the danger she herself may now be in. Jess' first-person narration is occasionally interrupted by beyond-the-grave asides from Anna, which offer tantalizing clues. Somewhat flat secondary characters stall the suspense, and the story clings a bit too closely to Jess' search B plot wouldn't have been amiss here. Still, short chapters move this debut briskly along, and it will hook those interested in a mystery that's as much a psychological examination of one girl's grief as it is a thriller.

Gr 10 Up-In many ways, Jess Cutter is the opposite of her identical twin sister Anna. Jess lacks Anna's social ease and effortless athleticism, preferring to keep to herself and focus on academics. Yet the sisters have always shared a deep mutual understanding in spite of their differences. Then Anna dies after falling from her bedroom window in the middle of the night, and Jess is certain there is more to the story than the policeand her parentsare willing to see. To uncover the truth, Jess begins investigating on her own,and quickly discovers that Anna was keeping secrets from her. The debut author creates a compelling and suspenseful narrative from the first page; the short chapters and fast pace will appeal to thriller fans. Brunskill adeptly depicts the messy process of grief, with a particularly sensitive portrayal of how Jess's relationship with her parents is altered. Unfortunately, these accomplishments are marred by several problematic elements. As Jess's independent investigation progresses, her behavior quickly crosses the line into unhealthy and obsessive. She never receives appropriate help or clear guidance from an adult to handle this situation, and her encounters with mental health professionals are characterized in a very negative way. There are also hints that Jess's parents and others don't believe her suspicions about Anna's death because her past struggles with mental illness have made her unstable. VERDICT This fast-paced suspense novel is unfortunately marred by its problematic handling of mental health topics; a secondary purchase. Kelsy Peterson, Forest Hill College, Melbourne, Australia

Fifteen-year-old Jess Cutter grieves the loss of her twin sister, Anna, in Brunskill-s thoughtful debut. After Anna falls to her death while sneaking out of her second-story bedroom window, Jess realizes that her sister was keeping secrets, and she wonders how much she really knew about her sibling and closest friend. Jess was always the more difficult twin-blunt, argumentative-and she investigates Anna-s secret life in a forceful manner, awkwardly talking to Anna-s friends, joining the track team in Anna-s place, and following Anna-s English teacher home and surveilling him because of rumors about their -special- relationship. Tracing Anna-s footsteps forces Jess outside of her comfort zone and into some sketchy parts of their small Montana town as she uncovers secrets held by Anna and others. Jess is a well-developed and empathetic character who opens up to friendship, life, and the possibility of romance over the course of her investigation. It-s a heartfelt depiction of the grieving process and a thought-provoking exploration of secret lives kept hidden. Ages 12-up. Agent: Bridget Smith, Dunham Literary. (Apr.)