A hunting trip. Five high school boys. What could possibly go wrong?
What was supposed to be a fun bonding trip for a group of five tightly-knit and well-off boys, ended up deadly. Five boys went into the woods, but only four came out. Grant Perkins is found dead, with a wound from the gunshot that came from one of his four best friends. None of them own up to firing the shot, and the investigation points to it being any one of them. The largest case Belle Terre has ever seen, and the DA wants it to go unsolved. He gives it to an aging lawyer, Mr. Stone, hoping to be able to help the four sons of the most powerful families in their small town, and allow them to put all of this behind them and escape scot-free. However, with the help of Kate Marino, a senior year intern at the DA’s office, he is determined to uncover the truth about this case that the DA is trying so hard to sweep under the rug since he owes his office to the powerful parents of these boys. Kate has her own reasons for wanting to solve this case, but not everything is what it seems. Digging into this case not only puts Grant’s secrets and the secrets of the River Point boys’ on the line, but perhaps hers as well. And if she doesn’t stop digging, Grant may not be the only person dead in this twisted case.
This book is based around the privilege the River Point boys have. They all come from rich, white families, who have relationships with many people in other positions of power, such as the legal system. Because of these families’ part in getting the DA into office, he wants the case swept under the rug to not ruin his relationship and reputation with the parents of the boy who committed the crime. They are also protected by the cushion of having money to throw around. Their parents separately hire private investigators to prove each of their sons’ innocence, while Grant’s parents hire private investigators to find who committed this crime and stole their son from them.
From the plot, to the characters, to the indirect social commentary, this book was amazing. One of the best written murder mysteries I have ever read, honestly. With the bulk of it being from Kate’s point of view, the anonymous narration from one of the River Point boys between chapters is refreshing, and provides both clues and more questions. I like to think I am pretty good at anticipating plot twists and endings, so when I say I did not see any of this coming, I truly mean it. I would recommend reading this book for sure. Especially being high school students ourselves, a lot of this book is very relatable, and the turns this story takes keep you interested until the very last page.
Before reading this book, please be aware that there are mentions/themes of drugging, sexual assault/exploitation, and unjust legal systems, which may be heavy or triggering for some readers.
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