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Bleak Haven #1
Dead Fake
Not yet published
Expected 20 Jan 26Welcome to Bleak The town you won't (or can't!) leave... Deep fake murders have taken over the high school, but what happens when they start to become real?
Would you Swipe to Die?
When the new craze takes over Bleak Haven High, Ava Wilson refuses to join in. As the niece of an infamous murderer, it’s the last thing she needs.
The mysterious website allows people to view their own ‘death’ – an AI generated version of their final slasher-movie-moments. But, when some of her classmates’ deepfakes are replicated in real life, Ava can either catch the killer…or be the next victim.
Would you Swipe to Die?
When the new craze takes over Bleak Haven High, Ava Wilson refuses to join in. As the niece of an infamous murderer, it’s the last thing she needs.
The mysterious website allows people to view their own ‘death’ – an AI generated version of their final slasher-movie-moments. But, when some of her classmates’ deepfakes are replicated in real life, Ava can either catch the killer…or be the next victim.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 20, 2026
11363 people want to read
About the author
Vincent Ralph
11 books703 followersVincent Ralph is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of YA thrillers 14 Ways to Die, Lock the Doors, Secrets Never Die, and One House Left. He is an Edgar Award nominee, winner of the Southern Schools
Book Award, and the author of picture book A Boy Called Book.
The first two novels in the Bleak Haven series - Dead Fake and Night Terror - will be published in January 2026.
Book Award, and the author of picture book A Boy Called Book.
The first two novels in the Bleak Haven series - Dead Fake and Night Terror - will be published in January 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
August 29, 2025
And he's done it again.
If you've been here a while, you might remember how much I loved 14 Ways to Die by the same author. It even made it into my top 5 of 2024, and now I get to relive the same feeling.
Dead Fake is everything I ever wanted from Fear Street. The seemingly cursed town, where tragedies are the daily reality, is haunted by a killer. Again. What started as a morbid joke and a way to get attention, has now been tainted by a real life human murderer, instead of a AI-generated Deep Fake, and Ava and her friends need to find a way to stop them before its too late.
While Ava is still haunted by her uncles untimely murder spree, it seems like he's coming back from the grave, bringing past memories she's tried to bury for almost a decade. Was it really him, who killed those people all these years ago? Or are we dealing with a set up?
Gripping and haunting, Dead Fake explores the human obsession with all things true crime and combines it with reflections on all things unregulated AI use.
I absolutely loved the writing. It takes some time to get used to, but once you do, the book becomes unputdownable. I had to know who was behind the killings. Was it the same person who created Swipe to Die? Or was it a seemingly random person?
You know how I love guessing the ending, gathering clues on who the killer is, but Dead Fake was able to trick me and the twist was INSANE. Highly recommend.
And huge thanks to Wednesday Books for sending me a free copy.
If you've been here a while, you might remember how much I loved 14 Ways to Die by the same author. It even made it into my top 5 of 2024, and now I get to relive the same feeling.
Dead Fake is everything I ever wanted from Fear Street. The seemingly cursed town, where tragedies are the daily reality, is haunted by a killer. Again. What started as a morbid joke and a way to get attention, has now been tainted by a real life human murderer, instead of a AI-generated Deep Fake, and Ava and her friends need to find a way to stop them before its too late.
While Ava is still haunted by her uncles untimely murder spree, it seems like he's coming back from the grave, bringing past memories she's tried to bury for almost a decade. Was it really him, who killed those people all these years ago? Or are we dealing with a set up?
Gripping and haunting, Dead Fake explores the human obsession with all things true crime and combines it with reflections on all things unregulated AI use.
I absolutely loved the writing. It takes some time to get used to, but once you do, the book becomes unputdownable. I had to know who was behind the killings. Was it the same person who created Swipe to Die? Or was it a seemingly random person?
You know how I love guessing the ending, gathering clues on who the killer is, but Dead Fake was able to trick me and the twist was INSANE. Highly recommend.
And huge thanks to Wednesday Books for sending me a free copy.
September 1, 2025
Thank you netgalley for this ARC and i plan on reading the 2nd book in this series shortly after i finished this one honestly at this point vincent is an auto read author of mine i really enjoy his books and when i found out he had TWO new ones i had to read them.. This book was a great one i enjoyed the characters but mainly the storyline was really good it put an AI spin on it seeing as AI is everywhere now this novel follows our main character who is the niece of someone who is notoriously known for murder and she starts school and notices people are using an app called Swipe or Die and what it basically is on the app is the app shows students having a deep fake death scene but when people start actually getting killed the town and our main character thinks she might be getting caught up in another situation because of who are uncle is. I will say the twist at the end i wasnt expecting and i thought that was really good regarding who the killer was this was definitely a quick read and fast paced and i kept reading because i wanted to know what happened next im really excited to read the 2nd one because the synopsis sounds great too! If you like slasher books/ YA this is a great book!
December 8, 2025
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Jan. 20, 2026
“Dead Fake” is the first novel in the Bleak Haven series by YA horror author Vincent Ralph. Ralph caught my interest with his previous novels, “One House Left” and “Secrets Never Die”, so I could not pass up the oppourtunity to read book one and two, “Night Terror” (review to come) of the Bleak Haven series when it was offered.
Ava Wilson’s beloved uncle is a murderer. Or so the rumours say. Years ago, Ava’s uncle broke into a local family’s home, killing every member but one, the youngest son. Since then, Ava has lived in her uncle’s shadow and she’s used to being stared at and whispered about. But then, her longtime friend and crush, Kash, discovers a new app called “Swipe to Die”, which soon becomes their classmate’s new fascination. With the app, the teens can witness their own “death”, created with AI-generated slasher movie scenes. Until the teens who play start dying, the same way the app predicted. As one of the only few who refused to buy in to the obsession, it is up to Ava to uncover who made the app, and why her friends are dying, before she becomes the next target.
First of all, I’m a sucker for engaging covers, and the book cover for “Fake” pulled me in. Ralph’s modern, addictive writing intrigued me from our first introduction, and I am glad to see he continues to craft creative, and scary, plots with relatable characters. Although identified as belonging to the YA genre, “Fake” is the kind of novel that will appeal to larger audiences, so don’t let the YA label turn you off.
Ava is the protagonist, a young woman with a tragic past, who is dedicated to her two close friends and her beloved younger sister. She is strong and spunky and it’s easy to admire the teenager as she tries to solve the murders that seem eerily similar to those her uncle supposedly committed years ago. All of the characters in “Fake” are likable, charming and naïve, instantly building a rapport with the reader.
The mystery of who’s behind the deep fake videos and the actual murders, and whether they’re connected, is, of course, the central plot, but whether or not Ava’s uncle actually committed the murders he was accused of is lingering in the background as well. Ralph connects both storylines smoothly and brings both to a believable and realistic conclusion. There are no questions left unanswered by the time the first novel is finished, which is satisfying, but the end of the novel, of course, drops hints as to how the plot will continue in the second book of the series.
“Fake” is engaging, scary and entertaining, and I’m excited to read the second novel. Ralph has made a name for himself in the YA horror genre, and I’m all for it.
Expected publication date: Jan. 20, 2026
“Dead Fake” is the first novel in the Bleak Haven series by YA horror author Vincent Ralph. Ralph caught my interest with his previous novels, “One House Left” and “Secrets Never Die”, so I could not pass up the oppourtunity to read book one and two, “Night Terror” (review to come) of the Bleak Haven series when it was offered.
Ava Wilson’s beloved uncle is a murderer. Or so the rumours say. Years ago, Ava’s uncle broke into a local family’s home, killing every member but one, the youngest son. Since then, Ava has lived in her uncle’s shadow and she’s used to being stared at and whispered about. But then, her longtime friend and crush, Kash, discovers a new app called “Swipe to Die”, which soon becomes their classmate’s new fascination. With the app, the teens can witness their own “death”, created with AI-generated slasher movie scenes. Until the teens who play start dying, the same way the app predicted. As one of the only few who refused to buy in to the obsession, it is up to Ava to uncover who made the app, and why her friends are dying, before she becomes the next target.
First of all, I’m a sucker for engaging covers, and the book cover for “Fake” pulled me in. Ralph’s modern, addictive writing intrigued me from our first introduction, and I am glad to see he continues to craft creative, and scary, plots with relatable characters. Although identified as belonging to the YA genre, “Fake” is the kind of novel that will appeal to larger audiences, so don’t let the YA label turn you off.
Ava is the protagonist, a young woman with a tragic past, who is dedicated to her two close friends and her beloved younger sister. She is strong and spunky and it’s easy to admire the teenager as she tries to solve the murders that seem eerily similar to those her uncle supposedly committed years ago. All of the characters in “Fake” are likable, charming and naïve, instantly building a rapport with the reader.
The mystery of who’s behind the deep fake videos and the actual murders, and whether they’re connected, is, of course, the central plot, but whether or not Ava’s uncle actually committed the murders he was accused of is lingering in the background as well. Ralph connects both storylines smoothly and brings both to a believable and realistic conclusion. There are no questions left unanswered by the time the first novel is finished, which is satisfying, but the end of the novel, of course, drops hints as to how the plot will continue in the second book of the series.
“Fake” is engaging, scary and entertaining, and I’m excited to read the second novel. Ralph has made a name for himself in the YA horror genre, and I’m all for it.
November 3, 2025
4.5☆ | Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me to have a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
꩜ | Okay so I just finished this and I am 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴. Vincent Ralph you have my heart.
I truly love everything he writes so much.
No one on my friends list has read this (or put it on their want to read shelf) so I have literally no one to talk to about this.
However, I am 𝘴𝘰 glad I also got accepted for the arc for Night Terror (book 2) as well because the way this one ended?? There's another printed paper, this time though, instead of it saying '𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦' it says '𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘛𝘰 𝘒𝘪𝘭𝘭'.
꩜ | This whole book just shows how scary AI really is. I mean it starts off with some flyers popping up in a high school with the words 'Are You ready to be murdered?' above a QR code. Once they answer the 5 questions on the site they're brought to, it tells them to 'Swipe To Die'.
"𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣?"
That same night a classmate is murdered. Except he isn't.. it was a deep fake, all AI. All because they Swiped To Die.
Then they find out is wasn't actually real, and everyone thinks it's all fun and games, watching their own deaths as they're posted.
All fun and games until someone recreates the murders..
What starts out as a joke, becomes real. And Ava (our fmc) and her friends have to find out who's behind the murders before it's potentially her next.
꩜ | Once I got into this one, I truly couldn't stop reading it. Sure, it takes a little bit to get used to the writing, but I love it. The book is also so fast paced so I felt like I was speeding through it. I kept wondering who was actually behind the deep fakes & murders and the twist at the end was crazy. My own guesses as to who it is was wrong.
Everything was also tied up really well to where the ending didn't feel rushed
꩜ | Overall I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves fast paced thrillers. All the twists and turns will truly keep you guessing until the very end, and even then you might not correctly guess who it is.
꩜ | Okay so I just finished this and I am 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴. Vincent Ralph you have my heart.
I truly love everything he writes so much.
No one on my friends list has read this (or put it on their want to read shelf) so I have literally no one to talk to about this.
However, I am 𝘴𝘰 glad I also got accepted for the arc for Night Terror (book 2) as well because the way this one ended?? There's another printed paper, this time though, instead of it saying '𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦' it says '𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘛𝘰 𝘒𝘪𝘭𝘭'.
꩜ | This whole book just shows how scary AI really is. I mean it starts off with some flyers popping up in a high school with the words 'Are You ready to be murdered?' above a QR code. Once they answer the 5 questions on the site they're brought to, it tells them to 'Swipe To Die'.
"𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣?"
That same night a classmate is murdered. Except he isn't.. it was a deep fake, all AI. All because they Swiped To Die.
Then they find out is wasn't actually real, and everyone thinks it's all fun and games, watching their own deaths as they're posted.
All fun and games until someone recreates the murders..
What starts out as a joke, becomes real. And Ava (our fmc) and her friends have to find out who's behind the murders before it's potentially her next.
꩜ | Once I got into this one, I truly couldn't stop reading it. Sure, it takes a little bit to get used to the writing, but I love it. The book is also so fast paced so I felt like I was speeding through it. I kept wondering who was actually behind the deep fakes & murders and the twist at the end was crazy. My own guesses as to who it is was wrong.
Everything was also tied up really well to where the ending didn't feel rushed
꩜ | Overall I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves fast paced thrillers. All the twists and turns will truly keep you guessing until the very end, and even then you might not correctly guess who it is.
September 3, 2025
Ava has always been known as the niece of a serial killer, so when a new craze called Swipe to Die takes over Bleak Haven High, Ava refuses to join in. Soon, AI-generated versions of students will be murdered in their own slasher movie moments. Everyone thinks it's fun and games until deep fakes are being replicated in real life. When Ava finds connections between the deep fakes and the murders her uncle committed, Ava is determined to find out who the killer is.
Dead Fake gives me all the Fear Street vibes with a town that seems to be plagued by serial killers in its history. I loved the implementation of new technology, such as AI, in a thriller, and I can definitely see the Swipe to Die website being popular in High Schools. Who doesn’t want to see how they would fare in a slasher movie? This book kept me guessing, and the twist at the end was a surprise. I am excited to dig into the next book in this series. Dead Fake is the perfect book for YA thriller fans or readers just starting to get into the genre.
Dead Fake is out January 20th, 2026.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review Dead Fake. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Dead Fake gives me all the Fear Street vibes with a town that seems to be plagued by serial killers in its history. I loved the implementation of new technology, such as AI, in a thriller, and I can definitely see the Swipe to Die website being popular in High Schools. Who doesn’t want to see how they would fare in a slasher movie? This book kept me guessing, and the twist at the end was a surprise. I am excited to dig into the next book in this series. Dead Fake is the perfect book for YA thriller fans or readers just starting to get into the genre.
Dead Fake is out January 20th, 2026.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review Dead Fake. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 23, 2025
3.5/5
This was an interesting read! It validated my fears of AI and the negative aspects of it. Dead Fake gave me “Scream” vibes - small town that’s haunted by a tragedy that occurred years ago. It definitely had me pointing fingers at who did what.
Thank you so much to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early!
This was an interesting read! It validated my fears of AI and the negative aspects of it. Dead Fake gave me “Scream” vibes - small town that’s haunted by a tragedy that occurred years ago. It definitely had me pointing fingers at who did what.
Thank you so much to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early!
Want to read
November 18, 2025ARC received! Thank you, Wednesday Books. I love this cover. This is giving me like Point Horror vibes and I'm all about it. I can't wait to dive into Bleak Haven!!
October 8, 2025
Review to come upon release
Fun little YA mystery thriller horror mix. :)
Fun little YA mystery thriller horror mix. :)
October 16, 2025
Deep Fake by Vincent Ralph completely pulled me in. The mix of mystery, technology, and small-town secrets made it impossible to put down. I loved how the story explored the idea of deep fakes in such a creepy and believable way, and tackled the effects of AI head on. Our main character was excellent flawed but strong, and I really felt her fear and determination as everything started to spiral. I love realistic characters and appreciated her complex feelings towards her late Uncle.The pacing stayed tight from the first chapter to the end, and I was constantly second-guessing who to trust.
The ending surprised me in the best way and tied everything together without feeling rushed. I really thought I had guessed the twist early in, and was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. Vincent Ralph did a great job blending tension, heart, and just the right amount of horror. It’s clever, fast-paced, and unsettling in all the right ways, I’m looking forward to more in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
The ending surprised me in the best way and tied everything together without feeling rushed. I really thought I had guessed the twist early in, and was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. Vincent Ralph did a great job blending tension, heart, and just the right amount of horror. It’s clever, fast-paced, and unsettling in all the right ways, I’m looking forward to more in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
May 31, 2025
More of a 4.5-star read but this was really good. Definitely Fear Street inspired/vibes but that's even better with the revival of that brand. Imagine growing up in a town where you have a higher chance of being murdered than of graduating. Why do these people live here? Good grief.
December 20, 2025
Dead Fake is the first novel in the bleak Haven series by Vincent Ralph, Bleak Haven is a town with a plethora of past horrors but it seems the one that Ava is attached to is the most popular. Her uncle was found guilty for killing a family and it seems Ava is the poster girl for that Catastrophe. she feels like an outcast but definitely has the support of her best friend Willow and neighbor Mason and she’s also close to her aunt Kaylee mom and of course her little sister Harper. it’s been 10 years since her uncle Joey went to jail and things are status quo and Ava‘s life until the day her lifelong crush and fellow newspaper editor cash tells her about the new Swipe To Die game that’s going around the school. although Ava does her best to steer clear of this game especially when they start putting fake murders online but in the end she will be the only one left to investigate and will find answers to questions she didn’t know needed to be asked. I love Vincent Ralphs books and I wish I could do a much better job reviewing because I feel I am doing it a disservice I was so into this book and cannot wait to start the next one I love his Books but about this one. Ava is definitely someone you want to root for the twist at the end of this book was absolutely mind boggling I was so dumbstruck when I found out who the perpetrator/perpetrators were. What a stellar read not to mention there’s more than one mystery such as who started the game who’s making these fake murders and who’s committing the real ones and are they the same person? I do want to say in my opinion these are really teenage horror stories but they’re well done by one of the best horror riders in my opinion. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #VincentRalph, #DeadFake,
November 16, 2025
Special thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review
This review started at 4 stars, but as I was writing out my thoughts, I realized I needed to lower it down to 3 because Ava just drove me absolutely crazy.
If generative AI has no haters, then that means I am dead. It is ruining art, writing, critical thinking, and out planet in general. I've gotten into many arguments with people about it. So I'm really happy to see a story geared towards the young adult demographic that's really focusing on the fact that there are consequences to using it. Sure, murder might be a bit excessive, but the message is well and truly there. Everybody thought it was all fun and games (which was incredibly frustrating) until they eventually realized that it actually isn't something to be taken so lightly.
The plot around the dead fakes and the mystery around the things that happened in the town were really great! The thing bringing the story down for me was Ava. I found all of her choices incredibly frustrating.
This review started at 4 stars, but as I was writing out my thoughts, I realized I needed to lower it down to 3 because Ava just drove me absolutely crazy.
If generative AI has no haters, then that means I am dead. It is ruining art, writing, critical thinking, and out planet in general. I've gotten into many arguments with people about it. So I'm really happy to see a story geared towards the young adult demographic that's really focusing on the fact that there are consequences to using it. Sure, murder might be a bit excessive, but the message is well and truly there. Everybody thought it was all fun and games (which was incredibly frustrating) until they eventually realized that it actually isn't something to be taken so lightly.
The plot around the dead fakes and the mystery around the things that happened in the town were really great! The thing bringing the story down for me was Ava. I found all of her choices incredibly frustrating.
October 20, 2025
This is the only way I want to see AI in my books, used as part of the storyline. Loved Ava and her curious self. I tried to put all the pieces together as I went and was completely wrong in the end. That alone gets this book five stars for me. Not predictable, characters you love, and just enough to make you want to continue the journey in Bleak Haven.
November 11, 2025
Well, this was a blast of a YA slasher novel!
Trying to figure out the who and why of everything was such fun! I did figure it out a bit before the reveal, but not too much before.
I liked our main character and her friends and was highly intrigued by this little down - it's a highly murderous place.
The book is fast-paced and keeps interested until the very last page.
Fun read!
* ARC via Publisher
Trying to figure out the who and why of everything was such fun! I did figure it out a bit before the reveal, but not too much before.
I liked our main character and her friends and was highly intrigued by this little down - it's a highly murderous place.
The book is fast-paced and keeps interested until the very last page.
Fun read!
* ARC via Publisher
September 12, 2025
This one was really good! It’s a fast read, as well as the suspense build up was really good! I definitely was not expecting who the suspect was! I can’t wait to read the next book!
August 31, 2025
I’m definitely here for the Fear Street vibes. This was a really entertaining story and I liked all the characters. I pegged the killer, but I thought it was a good twist. All in all, a solid thriller. And I’m interested in reading the rest of the series.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC. This will be out in January of 2026.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC. This will be out in January of 2026.
December 26, 2025
A YA thriller can be tough to execute. It often becomes less spooky/eerie and gives off more of a mystery vibe (still entertaining, but not always what you’re looking for). But this author did a great job of incorporating a slasher vibe to the story, giving it an ominous feel.
I also liked the idea of the murders possibly being linked to a viral trend - in this case, teens would answer a few questions and “swipe to die”, leading to AI generated videos of them being killed.
The fact that so many people participated in something like this was both shocking and all too real (or have we forgotten when teens used to eat Tide pods?).
And then there was the ending, where a new trend pops up and the reader is left on a chilling cliffhanger. I loved it! Can’t wait to read the next book.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for my gifted copy!
I also liked the idea of the murders possibly being linked to a viral trend - in this case, teens would answer a few questions and “swipe to die”, leading to AI generated videos of them being killed.
The fact that so many people participated in something like this was both shocking and all too real (or have we forgotten when teens used to eat Tide pods?).
And then there was the ending, where a new trend pops up and the reader is left on a chilling cliffhanger. I loved it! Can’t wait to read the next book.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for my gifted copy!
September 26, 2025
Have you ever discovered a new app and couldn't wait to try it out? I couldn't put this one down! Once I was in, I was in it for the long haul! This is a story about a teen whose uncle did bad things. The entire town is convinced of this, but this teen doesn't believe it for a minute. Is she love blind? Does she not want to see what he really did? Read this and find out for yourselves! You won't be disappointed! This is a harrowing story of a teen who goes looking for answers about her past, while also trying to protect her friends and family from pure evil that seems to find her in this town.
I can't wait for more from this author! I think he's a great writer! This is wonderfully written.
I can't wait for more from this author! I think he's a great writer! This is wonderfully written.
September 28, 2025
Thank you netgalley for letting me review this book.
What a freaking book this story keeps you on your toes for sure because you don’t know what is real or not in this game. The ending was shocking to me I did see that one coming at all like I honestly thought it was someone totally different than who the real killer at the end of the story. Like I was shocked to see the family at the end did not move away after everything that happened within the house I would so they could have a fresh started.
What a freaking book this story keeps you on your toes for sure because you don’t know what is real or not in this game. The ending was shocking to me I did see that one coming at all like I honestly thought it was someone totally different than who the real killer at the end of the story. Like I was shocked to see the family at the end did not move away after everything that happened within the house I would so they could have a fresh started.
September 29, 2025
This was fun! I am too big a 'fraidy cat to watch most horror movies, but do enjoy reading horror - especially slightly younger (middle grade or YA) horror. I like the creepy back-of-the-neck-hairs feeling, and this one had that in spades. I wasn't familiar with the author before this one, but between this and the sequel (set in a 1980s mall!), I'm thinking the Bleak Haven series will be a hit for me. I love this horrifying town and its spunky kids!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
October 17, 2025
Great, fast paced and delightfully spooky. I love a good teenage crime/horror thriller and this one was absolutely addictive. A town with a trouble past is once again in the middle of a murder mystery and Ava is bound to find the killer and hopefully clear up some of her own families tragic past. Will she be able to overcome her own pain to help stop someone from destroying even more lives??
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In this new thriller, the town of Bleak Haven revisits its long history with murder.
First, there is a teen girl trying to overcome the fact that her favorite uncle was a murderer.
Second, you have a new social media trend, called Swipe to Die, that all of her friends blindly swipe into.
How do the two themes connect? Initially, they don't. But things have a funny way of changing course.
This story had a lot of potential, especially with the Swipe to Die theme. Would the people who swiped into the app eventually die? It started to seem that way. Until an unexpected victim is involved. What didn't make sense to me was the truth about who was behind the app and why. Seemed like a lame twist. Even more surprising was what connected the app to the old murders. It was a twist, yes, but not one that matched with the character's behaviors.
So yes, in parts, this story was very intriguing. I just wasn't a fan of how it all came together.
*An ARC was received via NetGalley for an honest review.
First, there is a teen girl trying to overcome the fact that her favorite uncle was a murderer.
Second, you have a new social media trend, called Swipe to Die, that all of her friends blindly swipe into.
How do the two themes connect? Initially, they don't. But things have a funny way of changing course.
This story had a lot of potential, especially with the Swipe to Die theme. Would the people who swiped into the app eventually die? It started to seem that way. Until an unexpected victim is involved. What didn't make sense to me was the truth about who was behind the app and why. Seemed like a lame twist. Even more surprising was what connected the app to the old murders. It was a twist, yes, but not one that matched with the character's behaviors.
So yes, in parts, this story was very intriguing. I just wasn't a fan of how it all came together.
*An ARC was received via NetGalley for an honest review.
November 20, 2025
I thought this book sounded really interesting and the cover was really neat, however the book was boring and never picked up for me. The twist didn’t surprise me, I had a hunch earlier in the book who did it. Just wasn’t for me, wish there was more action was a little slow. #GoodreadsGiveaway
September 2, 2025
Review submitted to School Library Journal for potential professional publication.
October 31, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!
I was excited for this one because I enjoyed Lock the Doors, and because I had been on a trend of reading books about technology gone wrong this year. With AI becoming more, and more prevalent, the premise of deep fake murders spilling into real life caught my attention. I felt like the deep fakes take a backseat to the main character, Ava’s, family history, and what looks like a copycat for the murders that her uncle committed. There were certain details about the deep fakes that seem like they weren’t clear to me by the end. I felt Ava was an okay MC even though she did overstep boundaries on occasion, which was understandable given her history and wanting to protect family. I enjoyed the twists some not quite as surprising, and some I hadn’t even considered. I will be moving Vincent Ralph’s other books higher up on my TBR after this one.
I was excited for this one because I enjoyed Lock the Doors, and because I had been on a trend of reading books about technology gone wrong this year. With AI becoming more, and more prevalent, the premise of deep fake murders spilling into real life caught my attention. I felt like the deep fakes take a backseat to the main character, Ava’s, family history, and what looks like a copycat for the murders that her uncle committed. There were certain details about the deep fakes that seem like they weren’t clear to me by the end. I felt Ava was an okay MC even though she did overstep boundaries on occasion, which was understandable given her history and wanting to protect family. I enjoyed the twists some not quite as surprising, and some I hadn’t even considered. I will be moving Vincent Ralph’s other books higher up on my TBR after this one.
August 28, 2025
Wow! I powered through this one as I couldn't stop reading! High school student, Ava can't get any dates as her Uncle Miles was a serial killer. But then the students begin getting notes about a new "game" called Swipe or Die. And then things get ugly...! If you've ever worried about AI or the future of technology, you need to read this (with the lights on)!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
November 7, 2025
Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph is the unholy child of Fear Street, Black Mirror, and every late-night horror movie you swore you were too old to be scared by—but still checked your locks afterward. A giant thank you to St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the gifted ARC. I read it in one sitting and then immediately gave my phone a side-eye like it was about to upload my deepfake demise.
The premise? Deliciously messed up. In the crumbling, never-gonna-leave town of Bleak Haven—where every corner seems cursed and the high school has a literal murder wall—a new viral trend hits: Swipe to Die. It’s a quiz. It’s a death video. It’s AI-generated horror with a sprinkle of digital doom. You answer five ominous questions and receive a personalized slasher flick starring… you. Your face. Your brutal, pretend murder. Everyone’s eating it up like popcorn.
Except Ava Wilson.
She’s not exactly in the mood for murder-themed gimmicks. Her family’s been dragging around a body count for a decade, courtesy of her uncle—Bleak Haven’s favorite serial killer. She just wants to survive high school without being a cautionary tale or a ghost tour stop. But this is a YA thriller, so of course someone starts making the deepfake deaths come true. Of course Ava starts finding clues. And of course she gets sucked into the killer-hunting mess she never asked for.
Let me be clear: this book is fun. It’s bloody, fast-paced, and unrelentingly relevant. Vincent Ralph captures that Gen Z anxiety of always being watched, rated, uploaded, and turned into content. Bleak Haven might be fictional, but it mirrors the real digital paranoia perfectly—everything is a performance until someone ends up dead.
Ava is exactly the kind of YA protagonist you root for. Smart, sarcastic, emotionally bruised but still fighting. She’s got trust issues the size of a murder spree, and who can blame her? Her best friends, Mason and Willow, give just enough Scooby-Doo energy without tipping into cliché. The town, meanwhile, is basically a character itself: eerie, claustrophobic, and so soaked in crime history that you half expect it to start bleeding.
The pacing is breakneck. Blink and you miss a clue. Chapters fly by with cliffhangers so sharp they might draw actual blood. The tone shifts between slasher flick tension and gut-punch moments of grief, trauma, and generational baggage. It’s not just jump scares and plot twists—it actually has something to say. The ethics of tech voyeurism. The desensitization to violence. The pressure to perform tragedy for attention. It sneaks up on you between screams.
Is everything airtight? Not quite. Some character motivations get a bit wobbly if you squint too hard. The whole “remembering trauma from when I was four” thing stretches belief, and yeah, one or two side characters feel more like plot devices than people. But it’s YA horror, not a dissertation. And the twist? Satisfying. Twisted. Earned. No notes.
And the ending… oh, the ending. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say Ralph does not close the book quietly. The last few lines are a perfect setup for the sequel (Night Terror, already dying to read it), and they left me with a smile that said, “Oh no. It’s about to get worse.”
Quote:
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
Just a little AI-generated murder, no big deal.
If you like your thrillers sharp, socially aware, and soaked in digital dread, this one’s for you. If you like solving murders with morally gray protagonists who don’t wait around for adults to fix things, even better. Think One of Us Is Lying with more blood, Scream with code instead of knives, and Goosebumps if they were written by a deeply paranoid millennial.
I had a blast. I was creeped out. I didn’t guess the killer. I’ll be thinking about the implications of Swipe to Die way longer than is healthy. Mission accomplished, Vincent Ralph.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars)
#DeadFake #VincentRalph #BleakHaven #SwipeToDie #YAThriller #TechHorror #DigitalDread #SlasherReads #YAHorror #NetGalleyARC #WednesdayBooks #AIThriller #FearStreetVibes #ScreamForZoomers #BookReview #MurderMysteryBooks #FallReads #BookTokThriller #ClickToKill #HorrorWithAHeart #SocialMediaGoneWrong #MustReadYA2026 #Unputdownable #CreepyPageTurner #FictionThatBites #ARCReview #KillerEnding
The premise? Deliciously messed up. In the crumbling, never-gonna-leave town of Bleak Haven—where every corner seems cursed and the high school has a literal murder wall—a new viral trend hits: Swipe to Die. It’s a quiz. It’s a death video. It’s AI-generated horror with a sprinkle of digital doom. You answer five ominous questions and receive a personalized slasher flick starring… you. Your face. Your brutal, pretend murder. Everyone’s eating it up like popcorn.
Except Ava Wilson.
She’s not exactly in the mood for murder-themed gimmicks. Her family’s been dragging around a body count for a decade, courtesy of her uncle—Bleak Haven’s favorite serial killer. She just wants to survive high school without being a cautionary tale or a ghost tour stop. But this is a YA thriller, so of course someone starts making the deepfake deaths come true. Of course Ava starts finding clues. And of course she gets sucked into the killer-hunting mess she never asked for.
Let me be clear: this book is fun. It’s bloody, fast-paced, and unrelentingly relevant. Vincent Ralph captures that Gen Z anxiety of always being watched, rated, uploaded, and turned into content. Bleak Haven might be fictional, but it mirrors the real digital paranoia perfectly—everything is a performance until someone ends up dead.
Ava is exactly the kind of YA protagonist you root for. Smart, sarcastic, emotionally bruised but still fighting. She’s got trust issues the size of a murder spree, and who can blame her? Her best friends, Mason and Willow, give just enough Scooby-Doo energy without tipping into cliché. The town, meanwhile, is basically a character itself: eerie, claustrophobic, and so soaked in crime history that you half expect it to start bleeding.
The pacing is breakneck. Blink and you miss a clue. Chapters fly by with cliffhangers so sharp they might draw actual blood. The tone shifts between slasher flick tension and gut-punch moments of grief, trauma, and generational baggage. It’s not just jump scares and plot twists—it actually has something to say. The ethics of tech voyeurism. The desensitization to violence. The pressure to perform tragedy for attention. It sneaks up on you between screams.
Is everything airtight? Not quite. Some character motivations get a bit wobbly if you squint too hard. The whole “remembering trauma from when I was four” thing stretches belief, and yeah, one or two side characters feel more like plot devices than people. But it’s YA horror, not a dissertation. And the twist? Satisfying. Twisted. Earned. No notes.
And the ending… oh, the ending. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say Ralph does not close the book quietly. The last few lines are a perfect setup for the sequel (Night Terror, already dying to read it), and they left me with a smile that said, “Oh no. It’s about to get worse.”
Quote:
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
Just a little AI-generated murder, no big deal.
If you like your thrillers sharp, socially aware, and soaked in digital dread, this one’s for you. If you like solving murders with morally gray protagonists who don’t wait around for adults to fix things, even better. Think One of Us Is Lying with more blood, Scream with code instead of knives, and Goosebumps if they were written by a deeply paranoid millennial.
I had a blast. I was creeped out. I didn’t guess the killer. I’ll be thinking about the implications of Swipe to Die way longer than is healthy. Mission accomplished, Vincent Ralph.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars)
#DeadFake #VincentRalph #BleakHaven #SwipeToDie #YAThriller #TechHorror #DigitalDread #SlasherReads #YAHorror #NetGalleyARC #WednesdayBooks #AIThriller #FearStreetVibes #ScreamForZoomers #BookReview #MurderMysteryBooks #FallReads #BookTokThriller #ClickToKill #HorrorWithAHeart #SocialMediaGoneWrong #MustReadYA2026 #Unputdownable #CreepyPageTurner #FictionThatBites #ARCReview #KillerEnding
December 6, 2025
TLDR: This book was a good read. I couldn't see the twist coming until the very end, and the pacing is explosive. The motives of the killer felt genuine, and I enjoyed the author's message about the use of AI and portrayal of family dynamics.
Thank you to Saint Martin's for an Advance Reader Copy!
In a small town where tragedy struck with a violent murder spree years ago, a new trend called "Swipe or Die" arises. It's an AI program that shows you your future demise at the hands of a mysterious killer...and it seems harmless... until the deepfakes are recreated in real life. Ava, the niece of a supposed serial murderer, refuses to join in the trend and is determined to investigate it (along with her uncle's past) and solve her town's cursed mystery.
I enjoyed this book. I don't read much horror material, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The use of AI is very timely and eerily similar to many trends I have seen in my own peer group. If Swipe to Die infiltrated my school right now, I would probably participate. This book made me pause to consider the implications of a technology so powerful becoming ingrained in our culture. Who's to say someone couldn't falsify footage of you committing a crime, or borrow your voice to make defamatory statements? This book explores hypotheticals like these, and does it well. My only critique is that I wish the AI subplot had a stronger connection to the conclusion, which focused more on the familial and emotional dynamics and seemed to leave the AI side of the book behind.
That being said, I also enjoyed the emotional/family side of this book. It is natural for Ava to question her uncle's role in the murders, and this is highlighted by her reflection on the many fond memories they share. This novel explores Ava's family dynamic, showcasing their closeness not only through dialogue but also through their actions. Ava is a very realistic character. Her protectiveness for her sister is sweet and natural, and so is her sense of responsibility for keeping both her mom and sister protected from the hatred of her town. I only wish the novel had explored her relationships with her friends as well as those with her family. Her friendships existed primarily to drive the plot (which I get is the point of the book, but still), rather than to develop individual scenes. Ava's relationships with her peers seemed basic when compared to her complex feelings about her family.
This book was a good read. I couldn't see the twist coming until the very end. I like the motives of the killer and can almost sympathize with them when we finally learn more about them. I enjoyed the author's message about the dangers of integrating AI usage into our everyday society. I also appreciate how he portrayed Ava's complex familial dynamics very realistically. It's not 5 stars due to some minor critiques, but it came pretty close. If you like YA horror novels and movies like Scream (same small town cursed feel) then this book is worth a read. Set your calendars for January 20th!
Thank you to Saint Martin's for an Advance Reader Copy!
In a small town where tragedy struck with a violent murder spree years ago, a new trend called "Swipe or Die" arises. It's an AI program that shows you your future demise at the hands of a mysterious killer...and it seems harmless... until the deepfakes are recreated in real life. Ava, the niece of a supposed serial murderer, refuses to join in the trend and is determined to investigate it (along with her uncle's past) and solve her town's cursed mystery.
I enjoyed this book. I don't read much horror material, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The use of AI is very timely and eerily similar to many trends I have seen in my own peer group. If Swipe to Die infiltrated my school right now, I would probably participate. This book made me pause to consider the implications of a technology so powerful becoming ingrained in our culture. Who's to say someone couldn't falsify footage of you committing a crime, or borrow your voice to make defamatory statements? This book explores hypotheticals like these, and does it well. My only critique is that I wish the AI subplot had a stronger connection to the conclusion, which focused more on the familial and emotional dynamics and seemed to leave the AI side of the book behind.
That being said, I also enjoyed the emotional/family side of this book. It is natural for Ava to question her uncle's role in the murders, and this is highlighted by her reflection on the many fond memories they share. This novel explores Ava's family dynamic, showcasing their closeness not only through dialogue but also through their actions. Ava is a very realistic character. Her protectiveness for her sister is sweet and natural, and so is her sense of responsibility for keeping both her mom and sister protected from the hatred of her town. I only wish the novel had explored her relationships with her friends as well as those with her family. Her friendships existed primarily to drive the plot (which I get is the point of the book, but still), rather than to develop individual scenes. Ava's relationships with her peers seemed basic when compared to her complex feelings about her family.
This book was a good read. I couldn't see the twist coming until the very end. I like the motives of the killer and can almost sympathize with them when we finally learn more about them. I enjoyed the author's message about the dangers of integrating AI usage into our everyday society. I also appreciate how he portrayed Ava's complex familial dynamics very realistically. It's not 5 stars due to some minor critiques, but it came pretty close. If you like YA horror novels and movies like Scream (same small town cursed feel) then this book is worth a read. Set your calendars for January 20th!
Read
October 2, 2025Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
To preface this review, I want to note that I don’t pick up thrillers often. When a thriller captures my attention, it’s because of the premise or story promise that the blurb gives which peaks my interest. Dead Fake in this regard was no different, as I really enjoyed the unique idea as well as the potential commentary it could have on AI usage and what it could be capable of in the future. With that being said, let me get into the review:
Dead Fake was unfortunately not for me. It is a YA thriller that would definitely appeal to teens in high school more than me. I could see this being on a summer reading list to get teens into reading because of its appealing story, and I probably would’ve enjoyed reading this in high school more than I did now because of this. Let me get into the elements of the story that influenced my opinion.
The characters: The story follows Ava, the niece of one of the town’s notorious killers, as she witnesses her classmates get swept up in the new trend of Swipe or Die, an app that creates a deep fake of how you die. The characters didn’t stick out for me, but they were well-written and their conflicts both externally and internally made sense for the story. I would add that the perspective of a family member of a killer is a pretty interesting direction. I’ve only read this once with The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark, and I still think it’s intriguing to see what a character with that past would be like, and the writing captures that really well.
The plot: This is where I found the story to be a little weak, only because not a lot really happens. The book itself is very short, and yet the story still feels a bit slow. The threat is present, maybe one or two things happen in between that, and then we get the twist. It isn’t a lot of action compared to what the story blurb alluded to. The twist itself isn’t something I saw coming, but the shock of it all was kind of dulled by how info-dumpy it became over time. It gives off a villain monologue that’s necessary for the reader to understand how the twist is possible but at the same time could be better written to feel more natural. An info-dump isn’t necessarily terrible, but here it was a lot more than it needed to be. The author could’ve shown us the evidence of how this twist works rather than having the person responsible telling the reader the way it was done.
Dead Fake is a pretty interesting thriller idea on paper, and it’s interesting to see the direction this series goes as it focuses on the town that has a lot of skeletons in its closets. For me, the execution didn’t land enough for me to get the full enjoyment out of it that a younger audience would get, so I’d recommend that others check it out. It just wasn’t for me, which is why I won’t be rating it.
To preface this review, I want to note that I don’t pick up thrillers often. When a thriller captures my attention, it’s because of the premise or story promise that the blurb gives which peaks my interest. Dead Fake in this regard was no different, as I really enjoyed the unique idea as well as the potential commentary it could have on AI usage and what it could be capable of in the future. With that being said, let me get into the review:
Dead Fake was unfortunately not for me. It is a YA thriller that would definitely appeal to teens in high school more than me. I could see this being on a summer reading list to get teens into reading because of its appealing story, and I probably would’ve enjoyed reading this in high school more than I did now because of this. Let me get into the elements of the story that influenced my opinion.
The characters: The story follows Ava, the niece of one of the town’s notorious killers, as she witnesses her classmates get swept up in the new trend of Swipe or Die, an app that creates a deep fake of how you die. The characters didn’t stick out for me, but they were well-written and their conflicts both externally and internally made sense for the story. I would add that the perspective of a family member of a killer is a pretty interesting direction. I’ve only read this once with The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark, and I still think it’s intriguing to see what a character with that past would be like, and the writing captures that really well.
The plot: This is where I found the story to be a little weak, only because not a lot really happens. The book itself is very short, and yet the story still feels a bit slow. The threat is present, maybe one or two things happen in between that, and then we get the twist. It isn’t a lot of action compared to what the story blurb alluded to. The twist itself isn’t something I saw coming, but the shock of it all was kind of dulled by how info-dumpy it became over time. It gives off a villain monologue that’s necessary for the reader to understand how the twist is possible but at the same time could be better written to feel more natural. An info-dump isn’t necessarily terrible, but here it was a lot more than it needed to be. The author could’ve shown us the evidence of how this twist works rather than having the person responsible telling the reader the way it was done.
Dead Fake is a pretty interesting thriller idea on paper, and it’s interesting to see the direction this series goes as it focuses on the town that has a lot of skeletons in its closets. For me, the execution didn’t land enough for me to get the full enjoyment out of it that a younger audience would get, so I’d recommend that others check it out. It just wasn’t for me, which is why I won’t be rating it.
December 20, 2025
Features:
- Small town setting with a dark past
- Explores the use of AI and its consequences
- YA horror/mystery
- Living with a complicated family history
Synopsis:
Ava Wilson has been living in the shadow of her uncle’s deeds for most of her life. His killing spree is just one of many tragedies that haunt the town of Bleak Haven. Despite the townspeople constantly taking out their anger at the terrible crime on Ava and her family, Ava has managed to find a close circle of friends and a passion for uncovering the truth. However, the past comes to haunt her when a new trend called “Swipe to Die” begins to spread like wildfire through Bleak Haven High. Using the information the user puts into the site, it creates an AI Deep Fake video portraying how the user will be murdered. But when the murders in this dark joke start to become reality, it is clear something more sinister is at play. As the current murders start dredging up the past, Ava and her friends must find a way to stop them before it is too late.
Thoughts:
This YA horror was a quick, fun read with an exciting twist. The book starts with Ava reflecting on her uncle’s crimes and the impacts it had on her and her family in the aftermath. Though I think the book could have developed the actual trauma Ava is dealing with as a result of these retaliatory actions better, I really appreciated the central role that these experiences played in this story. Few stories actually take the time to depict what life is like for those connected to people who have committed terrible crimes which is part of what hooked me. Though it does a great job developing these experiences through Ava, it also reaches a point where the thinking becomes cyclical rather than truly touching on some of the deeper impacts these experiences have had. This didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story at all, but it does cause the pace to drag a little when Ava is reflecting in the later parts of the book.
I found Ava and her friends really enjoyable characters to follow. More importantly, they acted like teenagers without feeling like caricatures. There are definitely times where I had to suspend disbelief, but most of these were minor details and easy to dismiss. I really like how the mystery and Ava’s involvement were tied into Ava’s past and found Ava’s motivations compelling even when her choices were somewhat questionable. The big twist at the end was surprising for me, but there are definitely clues dropped along the way that true sleuths can pick up on. This book is the first in a series, but the story feels self-contained with a couple of threads left to lead us into the next adventure.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
- Small town setting with a dark past
- Explores the use of AI and its consequences
- YA horror/mystery
- Living with a complicated family history
Synopsis:
Ava Wilson has been living in the shadow of her uncle’s deeds for most of her life. His killing spree is just one of many tragedies that haunt the town of Bleak Haven. Despite the townspeople constantly taking out their anger at the terrible crime on Ava and her family, Ava has managed to find a close circle of friends and a passion for uncovering the truth. However, the past comes to haunt her when a new trend called “Swipe to Die” begins to spread like wildfire through Bleak Haven High. Using the information the user puts into the site, it creates an AI Deep Fake video portraying how the user will be murdered. But when the murders in this dark joke start to become reality, it is clear something more sinister is at play. As the current murders start dredging up the past, Ava and her friends must find a way to stop them before it is too late.
Thoughts:
This YA horror was a quick, fun read with an exciting twist. The book starts with Ava reflecting on her uncle’s crimes and the impacts it had on her and her family in the aftermath. Though I think the book could have developed the actual trauma Ava is dealing with as a result of these retaliatory actions better, I really appreciated the central role that these experiences played in this story. Few stories actually take the time to depict what life is like for those connected to people who have committed terrible crimes which is part of what hooked me. Though it does a great job developing these experiences through Ava, it also reaches a point where the thinking becomes cyclical rather than truly touching on some of the deeper impacts these experiences have had. This didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story at all, but it does cause the pace to drag a little when Ava is reflecting in the later parts of the book.
I found Ava and her friends really enjoyable characters to follow. More importantly, they acted like teenagers without feeling like caricatures. There are definitely times where I had to suspend disbelief, but most of these were minor details and easy to dismiss. I really like how the mystery and Ava’s involvement were tied into Ava’s past and found Ava’s motivations compelling even when her choices were somewhat questionable. The big twist at the end was surprising for me, but there are definitely clues dropped along the way that true sleuths can pick up on. This book is the first in a series, but the story feels self-contained with a couple of threads left to lead us into the next adventure.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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