Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

A year after his friend's murder, a boy finds a clue that propels him to start his own investigation.Mac lives in Camera Cove, once famous only for its picturesque scenery. That was before the serial killer who murdered four people struck, leaving a clipping from an old catalog on each victim. The police found evidence of a drifter's involvement, but the culprit was never identified. One victim was Connor, Mac's close friend, for whom he harbored secret feelings. Now, the summer after graduation, Mac and his friend group have scattered, most hoping to move on. But without closure, Mac feels stuck until he discovers a note Connor left him the night of his murder. Riddled with guilt, Mac makes it his mission to find out what happened. Under the guise of collecting donations for a rummage sale, he visits the families of each victim, seeking clues. Quill, one victim's cousin, becomes a partner in his investigation—and maybe something more. As Mac works out theories, he uncovers far more than he ever could have imagined, and he's forced to rewrite everything he thought he knew. When the truth finally reveals itself, it's breathtakingly chilling. Set across the lush backdrop of an oceanside vacation town, the mystery unfurls like a thick fog, eerie and wholly immersive. Most characters are assumed white; Quill is biracial (black/white).A tightly plotted mystery with an unforgettably unnerving reveal. (Mystery. 14-18)

ALA Booklist (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

In this tense, compelling mystery, a gay teen mourning his best friend's murder turns amateur detective upon discovering new evidence. Police never caught the serial killer that terrorized Camera Cove last summer, leaving the four victims' loved ones without closure. Since then, Mac hasn't thought much about life after high school; he can only think of Connor, the Catalog Killer's final victim, and how his future was taken away. Then Mac finds a hidden note that Connor left him and becomes convinced that Connor knew the killer's identity, leading Mac to investigate the residents of Camera Cove with new eyes. Suspicion turns to paranoia in Ryan's clever whodunit, which uses classic misdirection to keep Mac, and thus readers, from guessing the shocking truth. Alongside the well-plotted mystery is a sweet romance that develops between Mac and Quill, a Black teen related to another victim. With an atmospheric setting and relatable characters, this is a solid choice for mystery fans, especially those who enjoyed Caleb Roehrig's White Rabbit (2018).

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A year after his friend's murder, a boy finds a clue that propels him to start his own investigation.Mac lives in Camera Cove, once famous only for its picturesque scenery. That was before the serial killer who murdered four people struck, leaving a clipping from an old catalog on each victim. The police found evidence of a drifter's involvement, but the culprit was never identified. One victim was Connor, Mac's close friend, for whom he harbored secret feelings. Now, the summer after graduation, Mac and his friend group have scattered, most hoping to move on. But without closure, Mac feels stuck until he discovers a note Connor left him the night of his murder. Riddled with guilt, Mac makes it his mission to find out what happened. Under the guise of collecting donations for a rummage sale, he visits the families of each victim, seeking clues. Quill, one victim's cousin, becomes a partner in his investigation—and maybe something more. As Mac works out theories, he uncovers far more than he ever could have imagined, and he's forced to rewrite everything he thought he knew. When the truth finally reveals itself, it's breathtakingly chilling. Set across the lush backdrop of an oceanside vacation town, the mystery unfurls like a thick fog, eerie and wholly immersive. Most characters are assumed white; Quill is biracial (black/white).A tightly plotted mystery with an unforgettably unnerving reveal. (Mystery. 14-18)