Catch Your Death

Gr 9 Up–Wealthy philanthropist Emily Vanforte is presumed poisoned to death during a family dinner at her secluded, lavish country home, Bramble Estate. It is the perfect closed-room murder mystery—except there are three loose ends. Told predominately through relaying information to the investigator, teen girls Devi, Jayne, and Lizzie rehash the traumatic evening. None of them were supposed to stay at the estate that night, but after being entrapped by a snowstorm and Mrs. Vanforte’s insistence, they were forced to bear witness to the family’s murderous feud. Hidden passages and hidden motives produce an eerily suspenseful whodunit as the trio must now find a way to survive the night trapped in the house with a murderer. A diverse cast, including Indian representation through Devi, creates depth as to how and why these characters are brought together. Messages about the dark side of wealth and power are emanated through Emily’s husband, a popular politician who seems to always skirt around the law, and urge readers to consider how far this family is willing to go to cover up bad publicity.