Sara Shepard
Freeform (Bonnier Publishing)
November 1st, 2016
Seneca Frazier has an obsession with solving mysteries. She got hooked on a website, Case Not Closed. Maybe if she helps solve other murders, she can figure out a mystery of her own. Someone very close to her has an unsolved murder, too.
Seneca sees a posting about the murder of Helena Kelly. It appears her sister, Aerin, has posted in the forum looking for help. She chats online with her friend from the site, Maddy Wright, about going to the town where the Kellys live to start investigating.
When she gets to Dexby, she learns Maddy isn’t quite who she thought. Once she gets over it, she works with Maddy, Aerin, and another member of Case Not Closed to start investigating. The first night she’s there, she hears a voice outside her door telling her to go home. Shortly after, the hotel is on fire.
Seems that someone doesn’t want them looking into Helena’s death.
The Amateurs is a charming YA sleuthing novel done right. The small details are there, and the drama never really eclipses the story. It makes for a fun read, and it appears it’s the start of a series. It’s one worth picking up.
Sara Shepard is also the author of the Pretty Little Liars series.
JL Jamieson is a strange book nerd who writes technical documents by day, and book news, reviews, and other assorted opinions for you by night. She is working on her own fiction, and spends time making jewelry to sell at local conventions, as well as stalking the social media accounts of all your favorite writers.