Kara Taylor

Our Veronica Mars-style protagonist, Anne Dowling, is now investigating the sudden disappearance of Jessica Cross, her favourite teacher from the previous year. Deadly Little Sins is more of the same from the previous books. And like us, the audience, Anne's previous sins are remembered, making her progress much more difficult.

Anne's a great heroine; her anger at upper class privilege and the unfair influence money can by still driving her as much as her compassion for someone she thinks might be in trouble.

I liked the mystery even more in this final book as threads from previous books were wrapped up tightly, coming together in a genuinely satisfying way. I liked the story, I liked the depth of the characters and their relationships, I liked it all.… (más)

If you enjoyed the first book, Prep School Confidential, you're likely to enjoy Wicked Little Secrets, as it's more of the same.

In Prep School Confidential, Anne Dowling was expelled from her Manhattan prep school for accidental not-arson and is sent to Wheatley, a prep school in Massachusetts. Within a week of arriving at Wheatley, her roommate Isabella was murdered and Anne doggedly pursued the case despite the warnings from practically everyone.

Wicked Little Secrets picks up in the same school year as the previous book, with Anne on precarious footing with the school administration, but in a good place with her boyfriend Brent and her new friends. With only a photo of the 1980 Wheatley crew team - the words 'THEY KILLED HIM' scribbled on the back - Anne's curiosity and investigative spirit get the better of her and she's investigating a mysterious disappearance that involves her boyfriend's father and several other very high profile men.

I usually loathe love triangles but I found both Brent and Anthony, the twin brother of Anne's dead roommate, interesting enough and Anne's perspective on both boys enjoyable enough. It definitely doesn't detract from the story, nor does it become the main point of the book. Sometimes how ~dreamy~ the boys are becomes a real focus of the books, but that doesn't happen here. Anne's desire to find the truth actually often gets in the way of her love life, friendships and academic career.

Anne started the series as a popular, shallow girl but the events at Wheatley have changed her. Her growing frustration and anger at the injustice and corruption that privilege buys, not just at the school but beyond it makes her a very likable lead, as it always pushes her to go a little bit further. Most of the events in the book, beyond the initial murders, are put into motion by the actions of Anne herself and an active protagonist is always more interesting than a reactive one.

A fun murder mystery you can zoom through quickly because you won't want to put it down. 7.6/10… (más)

First and foremost a murder mystery, Prep School Confidential was also a quick, enjoyable read. Set in a prestigious Boston prep school, the sharp and compelling main character, Anne Dowling, stumbles into trouble within her first week. Her roommate is murdered and the suspicious inaction of the school and police lead Anne into an investigation.

Anne is a likeable lead character, her perspective moves the story along quickly and her tenacity keeps her interesting. Anne's got a moral compass that won't be cowed or intimidated and I love that in a lead character. It also means I'm eagerly anticipating reading the next book in the series.… (más)

3.5 Rating

Prep School Confidential has all the elements to make me want to pick it up. Murder Mystery, popular girls, an exclusive prep school, and BOYS!!

You have Anne, who is this no-nonsense girl that just keeps getting herself into sticky situations. First she's forced to leave New York City after an accidental arson incident at her previous school... then she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when her roommate of a week turns up dead in the woods. When the school starts going into cover-up mode and all the teens that go there start acting shady in their own ways, Anne goes into detective mode, vowing to find out what happened to Isabella on her own. The mystery takes on many twists and turns where this book could never be called boring. Since there are so many predictable mysteries out there, I love when I seriously can't figure out who "did it". Luckily this one was not one of those, I was guessing til the end!

The only thing I didn't love love was Anne herself. At times she annoyed me and did things that seemed inappropriate. For example, she was having improper thoughts about Isabella's twin brother at the funeral. Ummm gross much?? You can't be attracted to a guy at a funeral. It's icky. And also she was judgmental about clothes... like headbands and black skirts. Even so I grew to like her... it was just small moments where I thought she was being insensitive. Also I was a little sad that one of the most interesting characters (Isabella) was killed off so soon... I was just getting to know and like her!!

OVERALL: An intense prep school mystery that is somehow full of life! It has a witty main character who can hold her own and also make you laugh. The mystery is fast-paced and will keep you guessing!

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