I Know You Started It

by Daphne Benedis-Grab

Someone set a fire at the local middle school. Until they're caught, no one is safe. From Daphne Benedis-Grab, author of I Know Your Secret, I Know You're Lying, and I Will Find You comes a new thrilling middle-grade mystery that's sure to keep you guessing.There's a fire in a school locker!Is it arson? A prank gone wrong? An accident?Eva, Dani, Liam, and Gabe are determined to figure out who started the fire, and why. And they each have their own reasons for wanting to be the first ones to figure out what really happened.While the administration is looking into it, evidence is scarce. It will take four students who can tap into the rumors, gossip, and hidden secrets of their school to uncover what really went on the day of the fire. And if they don't figure it out in time? Well, one of them could be accused of the crime.But all their potential leads turn out to be dead ends. It's as if the arsonist is somehow tracking their every move...A high stakes whodunit, I Know You Started It is perfect for readers interested mysteriesEdge-of-your-seat thrillsPlot twistsUnreliable narratorsRaces against timeFast-paced actionFast reads

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Thriller

228 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2026

About the author

Daphne Benedis-Grab is the author of four middle grade books and two books for teens. She lives and writes in New York City.

Reviews

[C.J. Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge thanks to Scholastic for the physical arc! I thought the cover was good and the rest is history.

An older kid’s locker caught on fire. Everyone in school is speculating about it: arson, revenge, accident. Everyone seems to be an expert. But when four students who share the locker alcove where the fire started are called to the office, all that speculation now has faces to point the blame at. Can Gabe, Liam, Dani and Kate solve the crime before they’ve lost to the court of public opinion? And regardless of what happened to the locker, was there something more serious that caused it to happen?

For me, this was just a really nice, brain off kind of read. I read it on vacation, and while the mystery is quite simple, I did enjoy the characters. Gabe is a troublemaker, perhaps some would even call him a bully. But after seeing a fight go too far, he’s determined to turn a new leaf, even if others struggle to believe it. Liam is shy, nerdy, and uncomfortable being the new kid in school. While that temperament wouldn’t normally lend itself to vandalism, he was seen being interviewed by the locker’s owner. Kate and Dani are both part of the school’s paper, and if anyone was going to know secrets or gossip, their classmates are bound to assume it’s them. All four of them share lockers near his, and with minimal poking it could be blamed on any of them. But are they guilty?

This is definitely a mystery for younger ages. It isn’t overly complicated, and if you are looking for the clues, you can see the twist, but it is perfect for middle grade readers. The school features a diverse student body, which was very similar to the school I attended, but for those that don’t live in that type of area, this would be great to have on hand to show them.

For me, the best part of this is the main four. Some Scooby Doo references sprinkled in, this is just such an unlikely group to smush together. Liam could so easily have been one of Gabe’s victims, Dani and Kate are actual ex-best friends. The actual does well to show how everyone can be complex and multilayered enough for introspection and growth. Sometimes the real bullies are those pretending to be the nicest.

https://fanfiaddict.com/review-i-know...

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What worked:
The main characters represent the kinds of students readers encounter every day in school. Gabe is always angry and in trouble, but he’s promised himself that he’s going to change. He fears he’ll be accused of arson, and public opinion will find him guilty. Gabe, Liam, Dani, and Kate are the first witnesses called to the principal’s office, and Gabe is convinced that makes them look like suspects. Kate’s on the school newspaper, and she used to be best friends with Dani. Now, they don’t talk anymore, and readers are left to wonder what happened. Liam is new to the school, and no one has taken an interest in him. Maybe helping to find the arsonist will finally make classmates notice him. The chapters alternate the focus among these four characters, revealing their individual struggles.
Rumors, gossip, and cyberbullying are major issues. It’s what motivates Gabe, Liam, Dani, and Kate, and they think they must solve the arson case before the end of the school day. Classmates’ gossip will find them guilty if they wait for the principal to finish her investigation. Jonathan’s locker was the arsonist’s target, but he’s one of the most popular kids in school. Does Jonathan have a secret, unsavory side that makes someone hate him? As it turns out, identifying the fire-starter doesn’t end the story. Additional planning is needed before justice is served.
What didn’t work as well:
The synopsis says the setting is in a middle school, but it’s actually a combined middle school and high school. The high school characters make the book appeal to a more mature audience, but the narrative's vocabulary and sentence structure are appropriate for younger readers. It’s also unrealistic to think the entire story takes place between homeroom and 2:00 PM in one school day.
The final verdict:
The issues and characters are probably most relevant to teens, but the reading level is appropriate for mature middle-grade readers. I recommend you try this book for yourself.

[emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch me unbox this book!
https://youtube.com/shorts/GHTGb0wNlX...

0 star romance - middle grade
0 star language - middle grade
9+ big-ish stakes, but relatively clean

Thank you Scholastic for a copy of this book! This review is my own facts and opinions!
☆⛤♥⭑overall⭑♥⛤☆
This book is pretty much a younger version of one of us is lying, multiple people working together to solve a crime (in this case a locker fire) before serious punishment is inflicted (detention). The mystery felt strong, it all made sense, and the ending felt timed well. Obviously, I’m not the intended audience for this book, but my younger sister is and I am sure she would love this book.

☆⛤♥⭑mystery⭑♥⛤☆
The stakes were high, the twists made sense, and the suspects worked well. Overall it was a well put-together mystery, as well as realistic, which can be hard when adults are writing about middle schoolers. I enjoyed the journey to get to the conclusion, watching all the pieces fit together and seeing the story twist and turn.

☆⛤♥⭑ending⭑♥⛤☆
The ending of the mystery made sense and the criminal was a known character all along, which I appreciated because I hate when the criminal pops out of nowhere. Everything was all tied up in the end (or sometimes before, because I’m talking about EVERYTHING, backstories, family, etc), which made the ending even more sweet.

☆⛤♥⭑in summary⭑♥⛤☆
If you like middle-grade, mysteries, middle school set books, realistic fiction, or low-stakes mysteries, this book is for you!

View this review on my blog:
https://emmaisabookworm.blogspot.com/...

Follow my Youtube for unboxings!
https://www.youtube.com/@EmmaIsABookworm

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Snow Valley Secondary, which includes middle and high school, is not the safest place to be in we trust the events of I Know Your Secret and I Know You're Lying. When Jonathan, a popular high school student, has his locker set on fire, middle school students are called to the office to be questioned. These include Dany and Kate, who used to be friends, Gabe, who is blamed for everything in school, and Liam, who is brand new. When both principals are busy with other meetings, they are supposed to go back to class, but decide that they need to investigate the incident themselves. Kate's older sister is Gemma, who was involved in investigations in earlier books, and there is a strong journalism culture at the school. After talking to Susie, who works in the office, the group gets some information, and the members talk to other people at snack break and in between classes. When the true culprit, and the reasons for the fire, are revealed, the kids band together to see that justice is served.

This is told from multiple perspectives, and since there have been fires set at every middle school building I've ever been at, I can definitely see this happening. It seems somewhat less likely that the investigation could be conducted between classes no matter how generous the passing time is, but this is a darker investigation than most middle school ones. The cover is great. Sadly, this looks to be published only in paperback. It will be a popular choice with middle school students who aren't quite ready for books by Karen McManus or Freida McFadden.

https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...

[Danielle Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tenth grader had a fire started in his locker. Four eighth graders, Liam, Kate, Gabe, and Dani, have been called down and decided to figure out who started the fire, so no one would blame them. But, did one of them actually start the fire?

I liked each chapter had a different point of view of each main character. You got to know each character, and it made me feel more invested. Reputation is everything to middle schoolers, so you can understand why characters who really never interacted with each other, with the exception of Dani and Kate, decide to work together to clear their name. It has a very Scooby Doo feel to it.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Know You Started It starts with a fire in a locker. Told from the points of view of four middle schoolers, this book focuses on motives for the crime and finding out who did it. When a surprising confession comes out, the friends turn their efforts on making sure nothing like this happens again in their school. This book is perfect for middle school on up. It is squeaky clean in its dealing with making friends, gossip and bullying.

I received a free advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scholastic sent me a copy pre-publication date. I liked the premise. For some reason, mentioning the other books and mysteries at the same school took me out of the story. Also, the “neglectful nanny” rumor didn’t feel realistic to me, but I also get that they want the story to be more for a younger audience.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this and liked the presentation. Seemed to be very slow at first but by the end I did like it. I think it will appeal to the lower end of middle grade. I think kids who like to read about kids slightly older than themselves will enjoy this. I found the mystery less predictable than many others I have read. I wish there were 3 1/2 stars, but as I recall it after a few hours I'll move it up to 4.

[Connie Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story for young adults

[Addisyn Hild · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a book fair and they had the book so that's how I got it.

[Stan Yan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fire! Whodunnit? The four main characters are suspects and unwittingly become detectives in this timely tale of where preconceptions meet the reality that is slowly peeled back.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was all the rage at the recent book fair. It was a nice mystery but honestly not as intense as kids can handle.

[Liz Yielding · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this with Finn. And I’m aware it’s written for kids. But come on. Poor writing, poor plot and character development. Even Finn didn’t like it