Kill show A true crime novel

Sweren-Becker, the author of the YA thriller duology, The Ones (2016) and The Equals (2017), makes his adult debut with a gripping look at a teen's disappearance and the true crime show that documented it in real time. Told as an oral history a decade after 16-year-old Sara Parcell went missing from her Maryland high school, the tale unspools at a breakneck pace from the opening pages, as Sara's parents, Dave and Jeannette, recount the day their daughter, a violin prodigy with aspirations to attend Juilliard, didn't return home from school in April 2013. A viral video recorded and posted by Sara's younger brother, Jack, of their anguished parents caught the eye of reality show producer Casey Hawthorne, who rushed to Maryland with the idea of turning the hunt for Sara into a real-time reality show. The result, Searching for Sara, became a massive hit, drawing national attention from those who opt in to help find Sara as well as an unstable man who thinks the families of missing kids are "crisis actors." Sweren-Becker has crafted a clever, fast-paced, utterly absorbing tale that feeds into audiences' fascination with true crime even as it explores the complex ramifications.

Sweren-Becker (The Ones) tackles America's obsession with true crime in this searing whodunit. Written in the form of interviews with family, friends, neighbors, police, and the film crew that arrives in Frederick, Md., after 16-year-old violin prodigy Sara Parcell vanishes, the novel is presented as a straightforward work of true crime. After a viral video brings a spike of national attention to Sara's disappearance, her parents agree to let a Hollywood production company film a reality show about the case--her dad says yes for the money, while her mom hopes that a wide audience will lead to Sara's safe return. When Searching for Sara becomes an overnight hit, it causes a chain reaction of unintended consequences: detectives start reluctantly taking their cues from the show, an innocent man receives death threats after producers insinuate he might be a suspect, residents of Frederick have their own secrets unwittingly exposed, and two more murders occur. But nothing is as it seems in this wily mystery, and Sweren-Becker delivers a double twist that will leave readers shocked. His sharp plotting and expert understanding of true crime tropes elevate the proceedings from clever gimmick to slam-dunk. The latest in a long line of contemporary thrillers interrogating the public fascination with private tragedy, this scorching indictment stands out. (Oct.)

Two dozen people reflect on a decade-old tragedy, documentary style. A Maryland suburb's sense of security is shattered when 16-year-old Sara Parcell takes the bus to school one morning but fails to report for class. The principal's office calls her parents, Dave and Jeannette, who can't reach Sara by phone or text. Her friends haven't seen or heard from her since before the first bell, so when Sara still isn't home come nightfall, Dave summons the police. Det. Felix Calderon starts interviewing Sara's peers, but the investigation doesn't gather much steam until her younger brother, Jack, surreptitiously records his mom and dad consoling each other and uploads the video to YouTube. When Jack's post goes viral, ambitious reality TV producer Casey Hawthorne sells her boss on Searching for Sara, a show chronicling real-time efforts to find the teen. Dave and Jeannette sign on; the more folks looking for their daughter, the better, and they could use the hefty per-episode payout Casey promises. That decision has avalanching consequences, however, which in turn sets up Sweren-Becker's premise: Ten years after the fact, 26 in-the-know individuals have given interviews that an editor transcribed and intercut to create a comprehensive oral history of what actually happened--i.e., this book. Frequent foreshadowing fosters tension and drive, while keenly rendered characters with distinct voices and unique perspectives add dimension and verisimilitude. What begins as an affecting slow burn regrettably falters thanks to a rushed, convoluted denouement, but on balance, Sweren-Becker delivers a riveting work of fiction that doubles as scathing social commentary about America's true-crime obsession. A far-fetched mystery with an ingenious narrative conceit. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.