The Liar Society Series, Book 1

May 9, 2011
Kate is still recovering from the death of her friend Grace last fall, which she believes may not have been an accident. So when she receives an email from Grace, she is understandably shaken. Kate attends Pemberly Brown Academy, a prestigious private school steeped in tradition and snobbery, where Kate has few allies beyond her smitten and conspiracy theoryâobsessed friend Seth, and maybe her recent love interest, bad boy Liam. But as Grace's emails become more intenseâfull of pleas, riddles, directions, and warningsâKate is overwhelmed with guilt for not being with Grace on the night she died, and she obsessively seeks the truth about what happened. The Roecker sisters' narrative switches from the events leading up to Grace's death and the present day, effectively building tension and emphasizing the life-altering significance of the event for Kate ("It was like a giant pair of scissors had come along and neatly snipped my life in two"). No character is above suspicion in this chilling, suspenseful, and smart debut. Ages 12âup.

April 1, 2011

Gr 7-10-The past year has been a nightmare for Kate as she mourns the accidental death of her best friend, Grace, and the estrangement of her other friend, Maddie. Sitting alone in her bedroom, Kate receives an email from Grace telling her that she is still here and that Kate must help her. Kate then suspects that Grace's death was more than just an accident and that the answers reside within the walls of the prestigious Pemberly Brown Acadamy that Kate attends. The strange emails keep coming offering her clues, but Grace also appears to Kate as ghostly apparitions. Kate delves deeper into the academy's secrets and recruits two fellow classmates, Seth and Liam, to help her track down clues and mourn her friend. While the pacing of the book and atmospheric setting keep the pages turning, there is nothing surprising in the story. Kate is endearing enough, but there are no clever plotting elements and no new character twists, and the ending relies heavily on stereotypically clueless parents.-Mindy Whipple, West Jordan Library, UT

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2011
Grades 7-10 One year after her best friend, Grace, tragically dies in a fire, 15-year-old Kate, still lost in grief, receives a cryptic e-mail from Grace, hinting that her death was not just an accident. Kate follows Graces instructions, setting off a chain of events that pulls her deep into the long-standing secret societies and dangerous rituals of their private school. The only person she knows she can trust is guileless conspiracy-theorist Seth, who has assiduously pursued Kate for years. The one she wants to trust, handsome Liam, tries to get close, but he comes with a past that Kate worries will conflict with her goal of exposing the truth. The trio forms a sort of detective love triangle, and Kates sightings of Graces ghost add an element of unreliability to the narration of this smartly paced and plotted first novel, full of twists, clues, and sleuthing. Add this to your go-to list of mysteries, and expect readers to clamor for a follow-up to this sister duos first novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)