Good Girls Die First

October 4, 2021
In a tropey debut reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, 10 teens, each harboring a dark secret, receive personalized notes beckoning them to a local pier that leads to an uninhabited island—and the abandoned Magnificent Baldo’s Carnival, “destroyed in an unexplained blaze” 40 years back. When the pier collapses, the group is trapped on the island with no cell phone coverage and a thick fog concealing them from the mainland. Though the night starts out with a lively bonfire, a bottle of vodka, and talk of ghosts, the arrival of an otherworldly spirit named Whispers sees the ethnically inclusive group—each known for an activity or personality trait—questioning who they really are. And when the first of the 10 is found dead, a pattern of revelations and deaths begins chipping away at the teens. If the number of protagonists and confessions bogs down the pacing, Foxfield’s focus on social niches and escalating suspense will appeal to fans of Karen McManus. Ages 14–up. Agent: Chloe Seager, Madeleine Milburn Agency.