Suspense, Mystery & Thriller

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Now all they have in common is Carlton High and the beginning of a very bad day. Type A Ivy lost a student council election to the class clown, and now she has to face the school, humiliated. Heartthrob Mateo is burned out from working two jobs since his family’s business failed. And outsider Cal just got stood up . . . again.So when the three unexpectedly run into each other, they decide to avoid their problems by ditching. Just the three of them, like old times. Except they’ve barely left the parking lot before they run out of things to say. . . until they spot another Carlton High student skipping school—and follow him to the scene of his own murder. In one chance move, their day turns from dull to deadly. And it’s about to get worse. It turns out Ivy, Mateo, and Cal still have some things in common...like a connection to the dead kid. And they’re all hiding something. Could it be that their chance reconnection wasn’t by chance after all? (mystery, thriller, alternating POV, high school, murder, friendship)

"With fast pacing and her signature flair for the dramatic, McManus weaves a masterful tale of secrets, lies, and twisted intentions that will be sure to keep readers guessing whodunit, from start to finish." —Booklist (Starred review)

They needed the perfect assassin. Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends, and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend's family to die -- of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target. But when he's assigned to the mayor of New York City, things change. The daughter is unlike anyone he has encountered before; the mayor reminds him of his father. And when memories and questions surface, his handlers at The Program are watching. Because somewhere deep inside, Boy Nobody is somebody: the kid he once was; the teen who wants normal things, like a real home and parents; a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program's mission. (thriller, suspense, government, conspiracy, high school, spies, espionage, assassins)

"Fast, furious, and fun...Plenty of action and drama, and hairpin turns [that] will keep readers guessing; a twist in the end will have them begging for more."―Kirkus

"Boy Nobody is like a darker version of Alex Rider and Thomas in James Dashner's Maze Runner series... Fans of such fast-paced action novels should love this first installment in the Boy Nobody series."―VOYA (starred review)

Everyone in Fairview knows the story. Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town. But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer? Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent, and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger (mystery, suspense, cold cases, murder, podcasts, high school, friendship)

2022 Flume (NH Teen Readers' Choice) Award Winner

"Fans of true crime will be hooked by the hunt for a killer, but there’s more to this Guide than just a whodunit. It’s a story of families, community and the ways a crisis can turn them against one another in the blink of an eye." —BookPage

As an ex con artist, Nora has always got herself out of tricky situations. But the ultimate test lies in wait when she's taken hostage in a bank heist. And this time, Nora doesn't have an escape plan. Meet Nora. Also known as Rebecca, Samantha, Haley, Katie and Ashley - the girls she's been. Nora didn't choose a life of deception - she was born into it. As the daughter of a con artist who targeted criminal men, Nora always had to play a part. But when her mother fell for one of the men instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con herself: escape. For 5 years Nora's been playing at normal - but things are far from it when she finds herself held at gunpoint in the middle of a bank heist, along with Wes (her ex-boyfriend) and Iris (her secret new girlfriend and mutual friend of Wes...awkward). Now it will take all of Nora's con artistry skills to get them out alive. Because the gunmen have no idea who she really is - that girl has been in hiding for far too long. (suspense, hostages, trauma, false identities, scam artists, heists, secrets).

"A captivating, explosive thriller"-- Kirkus

'I could hardly breathe until I finished. The tension! Absolutely loved it.' - Emily Barr, author of The One Memory of Flora Banks