When I was between ages 12 and 15-16, I would have devoured this young adult novel, This Lie Will Kill You by Chelsea Pitcher. It has everything: romance, love triangles, a good bad boy, murder, mayhem, mystery, red herrings, strange person in a mask, and metaphorical masks as friends have secrets. As an adult, I feel that this book was cliched, convoluted, with a too neat ending, and had an obvious twist.
The characters were unlikable to my adult-self, but as a teen I would have wanted to be in the middle of this “cool kids crowd.” They are the pretty girl, the smart guy, the handsome boy, his best friend with a past, the best girl-pal to the pretty girl. This is a fun, beach/rainy day/snowed in kind of read. Maybe it is not the best writing style or even execution of the story, but it gets the job done. You want to know is the bad good boy back from the grave? Is his twin crazy? Was the car crash accidental or deliberate? Who was watching that night? And you find out. Eventually. You must go through attempted murder, kidnapping and finally the “It was Miss Scarlett in the pool with the dagger” reveal.
This is a fun teen mystery with modern touches, and while it might not become a classic, it will be one that could be remembered fondly. Due to language, triggers of domestic and relationship abuse, and violence I would say at least ages 12 and up are the best audience. But this is not for everyone. If you know someone who likes “beach read mysteries” this could work.