Knives Out meets One of Us is Lying with a hint of the Inheritance Games. Like the original whodunnit, Clue, this suspenseful mystery also has three possible endings explaining what could have happened.
They all have secrets. They all have motives. They all tell lies.
Every year, at a prestigious boarding school, Professor Groff hosts the Midnight Masquerade. But this year, before the festivities, he’s discovered dead in his office. Yet six students still receive invitations. The same six students who’re questioned about his murder.
The show must go on. At the Masquerade, two additional students claim to know the truth. The lights go out and when they come back on, one of them is dead. Anyone could’ve been at fault.
Francisca blind in one eye and deadly on the rugby field. Toshi a number ninja and the campus punching bag. Taz who struggles with anxiety and lingers in the shadows. Fish the golden boy hiding wounds and not only in his heart. Caroline the heiress and the image of perfection. Gorgeous George the resident Greek God with nothing to lose.
The six receive anonymous notes, making them question themselves and the assumptions they’ve made about each other. Brought back together, they must prove their innocence before the all-school meeting the next morning, otherwise, they risk humiliation if their secrets are exposed exposed—and worse, if they’re found guilty.
It’s a long night of theft, danger, and threats by a secret society that shows Professor Groff was right during his final lecture.
Everything that can go wrong will.
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult
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MY THOUGHTS
Professor Groff isn’t the school’s favourite teacher by any means. The majority of the students, and most of the teachers, greatly dislike him. But, it is still an honour to be invited to his Midnight Masquerade, something of which few students ever experience, and no one is entirely sure what the event truly is.
When Professor Groff is found dead in his office, the end of the year is thrown into turmoil. First, the school’s symbolic wisteria was burned down, now a teacher is dead – things such as prom seem trivial in the light of recent events. Six students are singled out and questioned about Groff’s death, and none of them can figure out why they specifically were questioned. But, one by one, they all receive an invite to the Midnight Masquerade, despite Professor Groff being dead, and all of them are curious and after answers.
This novel is told from the perspective of the six students – Francisca, Toshi, Taz, Fish, Caroline, and George. They are not all friends, only some of them know each other, and yet, the events of this book pit them against each other, and force them together. They were all questioned, surely one of them is responsible for Professor Groff’s murder? And yet, as you read each of their perspectives, they all seem equally clueless about what happened.
To talk about all six of them would make this an incredibly long review, so I shall simply focus on my favourites. Taz and Fish were, without a doubt, my favourite characters in this novel. Taz is the school’s misfit, the girl people avoid. But, behind her dark clothing, she is sensitive, and struggles with anxiety and trying to figure out who she really is. Fish might be the ‘golden boy’ of the school, but he has a dark past he wants to keep hidden, for if it came to light, his whole life, and the way everyone views him, would change. These two characters, in my opinion, had the most depth to them. Fish certainly had the most backstory, and Taz came across as very real. Their chapters were most definitely my favourite to read.
This novel is obviously centred around Professor Groff’s death, and the six characters trying to figure out why they in particular were questioned, and trying to learn the truth for themselves. There is a certain nod towards the game Cluedo – a murder in a mansion, six suspects. There is even mention of a candlestick and a pistol, as the six characters find themselves moving around the board, learning things and slowly trying to piece together the truth before taking that final guess and seeing if they were right or not. This was certainly a nice little addition to the story, or almost, this story is a nice addition to the game. If you are a fan of the game in any way, this is a novel you will love.
I had some issues to begin with, trying to keep up with the characters. With six different perspectives, each character taking their chapters in turn, it is a lot of different people to try and keep your mind on. There are times when they are all together, and it is easier to know what is happening, but when they are all in separate places, doing their own things, I sometimes found it difficult to remember who the characters were, with the amount of different names. I had a hard time initially learning who the main characters were, with the differing perspectives, however, once you have figured out who’s who, it’s much easier to keep up with them.
Something I found incredibly unique in this novel, which I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before, is the fact that this book has three endings. There is one ‘true’ ending, and two additional endings of ‘what might’ve happened'. Three completely different outcomes, depending on what is revealed, and how it is revealed. Once again, I did have a little trouble keeping up with things here, as you finish one ending, and have to jump back in time and try to forget everything you just read to understand the next ending, but it is a very creative style.
This is a novel of secrets, lies, and mystery, and one that will certainly keep you reading as you try to figure out whodunnit, and who you can really trust. With so many different kinds of characters, there is a favourite character for everyone. If you like mysteries, this is certainly a great read you should grab a copy of!
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for review consideration.
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