Killing Sadie

818rd8IvTOL
Publisher
Age Range
14+
Release Date
August 04, 2026
ISBN
979-8347109869
Perfect for fans of How to Survive Your Murder and Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets, this young adult thriller unspools the truth behind a tragic murder through multiple unreliable narrators who all have secrets to keep.

Here’s what we do know: there was another infamous barn party at the McClain family farm last night, and things went horribly wrong. By the end of the night, there were two dead bodies in the old barn: seventeen-year-old Sadie Cooper and her killer, Mason Vreeland. The murder was heartbreakingly witnessed by Sadie’s twin sister, Jayne, and Sadie died in her arms. Mason was killed by Sadie’s boyfriend, Ben, in an attempt to save Sadie.

Aside from figuring out Mason’s motive, it should be an open and shut case.

But it’s not.

The story unfolds just after the murders, and Jayne, Ben, and Sadie’s best friend, Liz, are telling the cops what transpired at the party and the events leading up to it. But little details don’t match. And those little details start to add up to big discrepancies. But who’s lying, and why?

The shocking truth is revealed in the third act, when the POV shifts to victim Sadie herself, in the days leading up to the party. Witness exactly what happened—and see if you can piece it all together. Because poor Sadie totally missed what was right in front of her.

Editor review

1 review
Twisty Murder Mystery
(Updated: July 26, 2026)
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Everyone says Mason Vreeland killed Sadie Cooper. With three witnesses making the same accusation, the murder should be an open-and-shut case—until their stories begin to unravel. Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson hooked me immediately as I delved into the details of Sadie’s life leading up to her final night.

The story is told from the perspective of Sadie’s twin sister Jaynie, her best friend Liz, and her boyfriend Ben. Each of them is being interrogated by the police and tells their version of the events of that night. Of course, just to keep readers on their toes, each of them also has their own secrets to hide.

What I Liked: The multiple perspectives are the perfect vehicle for this story, constantly forcing the reader to decipher who is telling the truth. The characters are well-written but intentionally unlovable. Ben has a volatile temper, Jaynie acts like a superior know-it-all, and Liz is the quintessential wild child. I found myself constantly switching theories on who had the motive and means to kill Sadie. It’s rare for a book to keep me on edge until the very last page.

Readers who love twisty true crime-style mysteries will want to snatch up Killing Sadie.
Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0

User reviews

There are no user reviews for this listing.
Already have an account? or Create an account