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Killing Sadie
Not yet published
Expected 4 Aug 26Perfect for fans of How to Survive Your Murder and Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets, this young adult thriller unspools the truth behind a tragic murder through multiple unreliable narrators who all have secrets to keep.
Here’s what we do there was a party at Trevor’s house last night, and things went horribly wrong. By the end of the night, there were two dead bodies in an upstairs seventeen-year-old Sadie Cooper and her killer, Mason McDonald. The murder was heartbreakingly witnessed by Sadie’s twin sister, Jayne, and Sadie died in her arms. Mason was killed by Sadie’s boyfriend, Ben, in an attempt to save Sadie.
Aside from figuring out Mason’s motive, it should be an open and shut case.
But it’s not.
The story unfolds just after the murders, and Jayne, Ben, and Sadie’s best friend, Liz, are telling the cops what transpired at the party and the events leading up to it. But little details don’t match. And those little details start to add up to big discrepancies. But who’s lying, and why?
The shocking truth is revealed in the third act, when the POV shifts to victim Sadie herself, in the days leading up to the party. Witness exactly what happened—and see if you can piece it all together. Because poor Sadie totally missed what was right in front of her.
Here’s what we do there was a party at Trevor’s house last night, and things went horribly wrong. By the end of the night, there were two dead bodies in an upstairs seventeen-year-old Sadie Cooper and her killer, Mason McDonald. The murder was heartbreakingly witnessed by Sadie’s twin sister, Jayne, and Sadie died in her arms. Mason was killed by Sadie’s boyfriend, Ben, in an attempt to save Sadie.
Aside from figuring out Mason’s motive, it should be an open and shut case.
But it’s not.
The story unfolds just after the murders, and Jayne, Ben, and Sadie’s best friend, Liz, are telling the cops what transpired at the party and the events leading up to it. But little details don’t match. And those little details start to add up to big discrepancies. But who’s lying, and why?
The shocking truth is revealed in the third act, when the POV shifts to victim Sadie herself, in the days leading up to the party. Witness exactly what happened—and see if you can piece it all together. Because poor Sadie totally missed what was right in front of her.
- GenresMystery Thriller
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 4, 2026
58 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Peterson
1 book4 followersRachel Peterson graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a degree in English and creative writing. Born and raised in Ohio, she started her career in advertising before spending nearly a decade in New York City as a marketing executive for technology companies. An avid traveler, Rachel now splits her time between Manhattan and the Midwest, where she lives with her husband Ken, their dog Olive, and horse Hope.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 11, 2026
If you don’t know me, My name is Paige, I am OBSESSED with anything true crime and young adult. Killing Sadie combines my two favorite things in one book, and I was excited to pick it up.
The story follows three teenagers: The bestfriend, The twin sister, and the boyfriend all in separate interrogation rooms, recounting the night (and days prior) that their, sister, girlfriend and best friend Sadie was murdered.
I enjoyed the set up in the beginning, but what I didn’t expect was basically the entire story to take place in the thoughts of three teens sitting in interrogation rooms. Don’t get me wrong, I love the aspect of the room, BUT when the writing changed into the italicized format what was supposed to be them recounting a memory to help the investigators ended up being mixed up in personal thoughts and feelings. There was not a clear line between what the teenagers were speaking to the investigators and what they were thinking. At one point, the investigator replied to something I thought was strictly in the head of one of the characters and that threw me off.
True crime is my favorite because it makes me feel as though I’m an investigator myself putting all of the puzzle pieces together while I’m reading. With that being said, I loved the fact that the entire time I was reading I kind of had an idea of what had happened and why. But there was a twist that ended up changing everything. I LOVE that, I very much enjoy being surprised while reading. BUT I will say by the time the twist was revealed and the book had ended I felt very unsatisfied. I had so many questions and I felt as though the ending was super rushed.
Many young adult books focus on gushy teenage feelings and its easy to get lost in that when reading this genre. Rachel Peterson made me feel as though I was reading an adult novel. Although I knew the characters were teenagers I didn’t feel bored and annoyed with childish themes, she did a great job fleshing out these characters considering they spent much of their time at an interrogation room table.
Although I was disappointed with the set up, the ending had me hooked and made me want much more, so you can bet I’ll be picking up anything Rachel Peterson in the future.
The story follows three teenagers: The bestfriend, The twin sister, and the boyfriend all in separate interrogation rooms, recounting the night (and days prior) that their, sister, girlfriend and best friend Sadie was murdered.
I enjoyed the set up in the beginning, but what I didn’t expect was basically the entire story to take place in the thoughts of three teens sitting in interrogation rooms. Don’t get me wrong, I love the aspect of the room, BUT when the writing changed into the italicized format what was supposed to be them recounting a memory to help the investigators ended up being mixed up in personal thoughts and feelings. There was not a clear line between what the teenagers were speaking to the investigators and what they were thinking. At one point, the investigator replied to something I thought was strictly in the head of one of the characters and that threw me off.
True crime is my favorite because it makes me feel as though I’m an investigator myself putting all of the puzzle pieces together while I’m reading. With that being said, I loved the fact that the entire time I was reading I kind of had an idea of what had happened and why. But there was a twist that ended up changing everything. I LOVE that, I very much enjoy being surprised while reading. BUT I will say by the time the twist was revealed and the book had ended I felt very unsatisfied. I had so many questions and I felt as though the ending was super rushed.
Many young adult books focus on gushy teenage feelings and its easy to get lost in that when reading this genre. Rachel Peterson made me feel as though I was reading an adult novel. Although I knew the characters were teenagers I didn’t feel bored and annoyed with childish themes, she did a great job fleshing out these characters considering they spent much of their time at an interrogation room table.
Although I was disappointed with the set up, the ending had me hooked and made me want much more, so you can bet I’ll be picking up anything Rachel Peterson in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Everyone says Mason Vreeland killed Sadie Cooper. With three witnesses making the same accusation, the murder should be an open-and-shut case—until their stories begin to unravel. Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson hooked me immediately as I delved into the details of Sadie’s life leading up to her final night.
The story is told from the perspective of Sadie’s twin sister Jaynie, her best friend Liz, and her boyfriend Ben. Each of them is being interrogated by the police and tells their version of the events of that night. Of course, just to keep readers on their toes, each of them also has their own secrets to hide.
What I Liked: The multiple perspectives are the perfect vehicle for this story, constantly forcing the reader to decipher who is telling the truth. The characters are well-written but intentionally unlovable. Ben has a volatile temper, Jaynie acts like a superior know-it-all, and Liz is the quintessential wild child. I found myself constantly switching theories on who had the motive and means to kill Sadie. It’s rare for a book to keep me on edge until the very last page.
Readers who love twisty true crime-style mysteries will want to snatch up Killing Sadie.
This review first appeared on YA Books Central and can be found here: https://yabookscentral.com/killing-sa...
The story is told from the perspective of Sadie’s twin sister Jaynie, her best friend Liz, and her boyfriend Ben. Each of them is being interrogated by the police and tells their version of the events of that night. Of course, just to keep readers on their toes, each of them also has their own secrets to hide.
What I Liked: The multiple perspectives are the perfect vehicle for this story, constantly forcing the reader to decipher who is telling the truth. The characters are well-written but intentionally unlovable. Ben has a volatile temper, Jaynie acts like a superior know-it-all, and Liz is the quintessential wild child. I found myself constantly switching theories on who had the motive and means to kill Sadie. It’s rare for a book to keep me on edge until the very last page.
Readers who love twisty true crime-style mysteries will want to snatch up Killing Sadie.
This review first appeared on YA Books Central and can be found here: https://yabookscentral.com/killing-sa...
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews