ALA Booklist

Who knew Kate's part-time internship in the district attorney's office would take over her life? Turns out there's been an accidental shooting (or maybe a murder?) at a notorious local party. The victim was part of a group of five well-connected friends, one of whose family owns the lodge where the shooting occurred. The DA assigns the investigation to Kate's boss, Mr. Stone, with the assumption that he will not dig too deep and the incident will be ruled an accident. Crime fiction fans know never to assume, of course, and the case races off with page-turning suspense. Kate takes crime-scene photos, adds commentary to witness video statements, tails the defendants, and, breaching ethical boundaries, becomes secretly involved with one of them. The plot builds cleverly, interspersed with text messages, mistaken identities, whiffs of political corruption, and mysterious narrations from someone who knows what happened. Readers will overlook the fact of a high-school intern practically running a heater case when the story becomes impossible to put down.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Grant Perkins is killed while on a hunting trip with his four best friends, who concoct a tale to keep themselves out of jail. As part of her internship with the district attorney-s office, senior Kate Marino is assigned to help unravel the boys- lies, despite their connections to their Louisiana town-s most powerful citizens. However, Kate-s boss doesn-t know that she is harboring secrets that link her to the River Point Boys, and everyone-including Grant-has something to hide. Elston-s (The Rules for Disappearing) exploration of privilege, justice, and digital media unfolds through a combination of Kate-s Nancy Drew-like investigation, the anonymous shooter-s thoughts, and the mounting evidence; the narrative feels ripped from the headlines, a contemporary cautionary tale with enough wrinkles to make all four boys seem like likely suspects. A subplot involving a photo of three passed-out girls adds another layer of sordid small-town intrigue, and Kate-s efforts to solve the case highlights the duality of the human soul, the ways technology can twist the truth, and the difficulty of knowing who to trust. Ages 12-up. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary. (Nov.)

School Library Journal (Tue Feb 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Gr 8 Up-Kate Marino is shocked to learn that Grant Perkins is dead. She and Grant had been texting for months, and Kate had revealed things about herself that she hadn't told anyone, ever. So when her mother's boss gets assigned to the murder investigation, Kate uses her after-school job at the district attorney's office to look into the case. The worst part? One of Grant's best friends is his killer, but none of their other friends are talking. As Kate begins to uncover the schism driving the boys apart, she learns a distressing truth from Grant's best friend, Shep, that completely unravels everything she thought she knew, and the more her investigation deepens, the more dangerous it becomes. Will she be able to learn the truth in time? With this gripping novel, Elston has created an accessible legal thriller for a teenage audience. Kate is a very appealing and recognizable character: smart, funny, and strong. Refusing to be paralyzed by her emotions, she feels compelled to do something about injustice and tries to turn her grief into positive momentum. Readers will most likely be shocked and surprised right along with Kate as they, too, follow the many twists and turns of Grant's murder case. VERDICT Highly recommended for young adult collections in public and school libraries. Ryan P. Donovan, Southborough Public Library, MA

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

This riveting legal thriller immediately engages readers with this opening line, "[A] ten-point buck and a dead body make the same sound when they hit the forest floor" from one of the River Point Boys. They are a group of five wealthy, privileged, white seniors from St. Bartholomew's, an elite private school in Belle Terre, Louisiana. The incriminating circumstances surrounding the death of Grant, one of the five, could translate into charges of negligent homicide for each of the remaining boys. Kate, future photojournalist and public school senior, and her friend Reagan each have work placements with the local district attorney's office, making them "the envy of the teenage workforce." Kate narrates most of the story, but her chapters are interspersed with short, texted conversations between herself and Grantshe was falling for him before the incident. There are also observations by an unidentified reporter and transcripts of police interviews with those involved ("with body language commentary by Kate" because the assistant D.A. who lands the case, for whom Kate works, has severely deteriorating vision). Kate's cynicism about the workings of today's legal system becomes justified as wealth and power join forces to corrupt the outcome of the case.Intrigue and suspense, drugs and partying, social media, budding romance, mounting clues, and characters who embody good and badsome evilmake this incredibly crafted novel impossible to set aside. It is a stellar summer reading or book discussion group choice. Librarians should shelve multiple copies, as this novel will circulate among all readers.Cynthia Winfield.