Cold Hard Proof

by Kaybree L. Ozburn, Carson Cranor (editor)

Dallis "Lis" Carter has had one goal for the past two avenge her sister. Two years ago, Lis's life was turned upside down when her older sister Sage was found dead on the side of the road after a party- a party hosed by Sage's boyfriend, Finn Fischer, who becomes the primary murder suspect. By a twist of fate, however, the death is ruled an accident, leaving Lis begging for answers the police won't give her. Determined to find the truth, Lis Joins forces with the younger brother of Finn to investigate her sister's death- and possibly accidentally uncover a secret much, much worse than she had originally planned. But no matter what, she won't stop searching for answers. Not until she has proof.

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 9, 2024

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As her first novel, I’m incredibly impressed! The plot was captivating and made you want to keep reading. The writing was impressive and the characters well developed. I can’t wait to see what else she writes!

[Miah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omh such a good book!!! I’m a crazy lover for murder mystery/true crime books and this book did not disappoint!! The characters were written so amazingly, it was so easy to get lost reading this amazing novel! Cant wait to see more book by this lovely author!

[Ariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! It was a great, fast-paced book, easy for middle and high schoolers to read, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! I had so many guesses on who the killer would be, and with the story line, I kept hopping around on who I thought it was. I loved the ending, and am excited for a second book? 👀 Well done Kaybree! 🥳

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimately, the goal was to help readers, especially teens, see certain behaviors for what they truly are, and be able to watch for signs in their own relationships very early on.

- Excerpt from Author's Note

Sage Carter died two years ago. Her death was ruled an accident, however, Dallis "Lis" Carter - Sage's sister - refuses to believe that is true and decides to investigate. With the help of her friends, Lis is determined to find the real reason for her sister's death and prove that she was murdered while navigating complex relationships that begin to turn up in her life. Everything isn't as it seems in this young adult "whodunit" thriller that will keep you guessing every page that you turn.

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I absolutely adored Lis. She is a solid female main character who isn't afraid to do the right thing and refuses to back down. I admired her strength, determination and stubbornness towards giving up despite everyone around her telling her otherwise. Honestly, I really enjoyed all of the characters. None of them were particularly annoying and they all felt realistic, especially in the relationships department. I became engrossed in how each of them developed and kept me wanting more. Also, the reveal for what actually happened was very well done and had me on the edge of my seat for what was going to happen next.

I won't lie, initially I wasn't sure I would finish this book, only because it's a little outside of my realm for what I tend to read (high schooler POV's are usually a no from me). However, with the page count (and also b/c I discovered the author through IG for their Warrior cats content and wanted to support a fellow fan) I decided to go along with it. And honestly, I'm glad that I stuck around to finish it. I also really really appreciated the Author's Note at the end for her inspiration behind writing this book. Definitely make sure to read it when you're finished. There were multiple moments where I noticed Lis being treated unfairly and thought to myself, why is the author not acknowledging the harm behind any of it? But it all made sense towards the end.

Overall, I recommend if you want a easy, fun and digestible read that dives into themes of navigating relationships, loss, and betrayal and justice. I look forward to future works from the author.

(spoiler for personal culprit predictions) tell me why I was so certain it was going to be her childhood friend (i can't remember her name, but I know it started with a C) idk dude she was just giving me so many sus vibes LOL but I basically figured out who it was around the 70% mark and gah damn that scene between the two of them once Lis figures it out was awesome. i almost jumped out of my seat when Finn finally came to save her

[Kam huntsman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5🌟

🖤murder mystery


i found this quick read on instagram through the author posting about it, after discovering she’s from the area i live in i definitely wanted to read it and support a local author if possible! what i didn’t know going into this book was that it was her first book and she wrote at the age of 16/17. it was such a great read. the whole book kept me very engaged and trying to figure out who the murderer is was definitely not easy. i was shocked to say the least. overall it was a great read!

[alyssa mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was so entertaining to read!! i had the joy of being able to say “I KNEW IT!” when the killer was revealed, but only because i felt suspicious of almost everyone the whole time— it was so fun. highly recommended for an easy, engaging, suspenseful mystery with surprises at every development!

[Jon Ditto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every turn this novel took! An amazing example, and twist on the mystery thriller genre. The emotions of the characters are portrayed very well through the lens of the protagonist, and I felt suspense with every turn the plot takes

[Bryce Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

how do I even explain how much my love this book! First of all, can we appreciate that the author started writing this book when she was 17!!! ahhhhh I’m so impressed!

This novel had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I love the trope of bad ass high school girls solving murders. If you liked the vibes from the first “a good girls guide to murder” you will LOVE this book. 🔪🔪🔪

Also love that this book was written for teen dating violence awareness. I feel like in the literature world. This isn’t mentioned very often so I’m glad this author was brave enough to write about.🤍

This story is written in such a manner that I couldn’t even figure out who the murderer was until it was revealed. I was strung along in different directions and I loved every second of it! I hope we get more from this author in the future!!!!!