Murder on the Upper East Side

by Gigi Waldorf

Scandal never graduates. Holly Jackson meets Gossip Girl in this glossy thriller, set in the glamorous world of New York's ultra-elite. 

2016. Hannah Miller has begun her senior year at The Prescott Academy of New York alongside the rich and famous of the Upper East Side. Or at least, their children. 

Among the trust funds and penthouse parties, there’s one rule for staying out of the way of Queen Bees Madison DuPont and Elle Harrington. 

For Hannah, being a scholarship student makes her invisible. Or so she thinks.

2026. The Academy's alumni have gathered for a glittering charity gala. Only Madison DuPont could host an event this grand. 

But what starts as a champagne-fueled party soon descends into chaos when Madison is found dead moments after her speech. It doesn't take long for fingers to point at Hannah – everyone saw her talking to Madison only moments before she died. She shouldn't even be at the gala. She's not really one of them. 

The truth is that everyone had a reason to want Madison dead. To clear her name, Hannah must unearth the secrets that this crowd would kill to keep buried.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Adult, Fiction, Crime, Young Adult

336 pages, Paperback

Published September 8, 2026

Reviews

[Sundar Parajuli · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Gossip Girl mood and the murder mystery intrigue me, so I enjoyed reading the book with its thrilling plot twists and turns set in two different timelines. The book kept me guessing as to who the killer might be among all the suspects. There were too many storylines running at the same time, making me get confused about who is doing what.

I think the story could have been faster-paced and more exciting. Too much was dedicated to the description of the rich and fashionable lifestyle that makes everyone want to become a part of this world. There was an overuse of words to describe the appearance of the main characters. Besides, I felt disconnected from the protagonists in general.

The ending came out a bit surprisingly, and, honestly, I did not like it. In general, I liked the idea behind the book, but somehow the implementation disappointed me.

[Angie Miale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder on the Upper East Side is basically Gossip Girl meets Mean Girls meets a cozy whodunit, which is a very fun premise—even if the execution ended up being a little more “liked it” than “loved it” for me.

The story moves between two timelines. In 2016, Hannah has moved from Pittsburgh to Manhattan and is attending the elite Prescott Academy, where money, status, and social hierarchy rule everything. At the top are queen bees Madison Dupont and Elle Harrington, surrounded by classmates divided by old money, new money, and where exactly they fall in the school’s complicated pecking order. Adding to the drama is an anonymous Instagram gossip account that seems to know everyone’s secrets.

Then we jump to 2026, when Prescott alumni reunite for a glamorous charity gala—and Madison Dupont ends up dead. Considering Madison accumulated quite a few enemies during her school days, there is no shortage of suspects. Her husband? Her best friend? Someone she bullied? And, of course, there’s still the question of who was behind that gossip account all those years ago.

Despite the bloody cover, this is definitely more cozy mystery than slasher. The body count is low—Madison is poisoned—and much of the book is about the setting, the relationships, the secrets, and watching extremely wealthy people behave ridiculously.

I enjoyed the Upper East Side atmosphere and had fun with all the red herrings, but there were a LOT of characters to keep straight, and eventually I found myself skimming. I wanted to know the answers, but I wasn’t particularly invested in either who killed Madison or who ran the gossip account. For a book that’s only around 300 pages, it somehow felt about 50 pages too long.

So this lands squarely in the “it was fine!” category for me. I don’t not recommend it, especially if elite private schools, rich-people drama, anonymous gossip accounts, and lighter whodunits are your thing. It just never quite became as juicy or suspenseful as I hoped.

3 stars

Murder on the Upper East Side is out now. Gigi Waldorf is a pseudonym—and, frankly, a pretty adorable one for this particular book! Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for sending me a gifted finished copy.

[hollyreadit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gossip Girl fans, you’re going to enjoy this one! It’s a whodunnit with a group of elites, that flashes back to their time in high school. I constantly found myself replacing the major players with Blaire, Chuck, Nate and Serena. There’s also a gossip anonymous instagram page included.

This was a bingeable read, I did find some of the descriptions unnecessary and the reveal I didn’t fully believe (I think who I thought did it made more sense, but that’s just me lol) but all in all if you’re looking for a fun, whodunnit with GG nostalgia this book is for you!

[Keila (speedreadstagram) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an alright read. I had an okay time with it, I struggled to stay engaged but then I would be pulled back in. Nothing horrible but nothing spectacular.

[Becca Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. If you love the TV series Gossip Girl then this book is a must read for you! Think Gossip Girl meets murder mystery. It is sexy, glamorous, characters are well developed and the motives and back stories leading up to the murder(s) all make sense. I got so caught up on this book and felt fully immersed as if I was watching Gossip Girl and the appeal of the Upper East Side. It had all the scandal and gossip which was expected. Flickers between 2016 to 2026 so the high school grads are now in adulthood. I like the dual timeline as well as the mixed media elements – i.e. ‘The Upper Edge’ Instagram posts, plus the odd text conversation. Only thing I would say is the whole UPenn/ NYU predicament for Hannah is interesting, and helps develop her character, however I feel this could have been slightly more developed in the dynamic between her new friends and old friends, although I guess it helps explain why she remained in NYC rather than go elsewhere as her prior plans suggested.

[Lyrith Pattiselanno · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Geheimen, drama en Gossip Girl vibes! Dit verhaal lees je vlot doorheen. Ik had alleen wel al vrij snel door wie de dader was.

[Jennifer *Nottoomanybooks*]

💭: I think this book is meant for adults but it read really YA to me and I ended up DNF’ing it. It was very Gossip Girl which I thought I would like, but it didn’t work for me. That is all. 🤣

[Kärt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this so much given my obsession with Gossip Girl & The O.C. when I was in my 20s but this ultimately fell so flat and dragged so much. I kept being pulled away by constant descriptions (unless you’re into fashion & the lifestyle of the rich and famous, then you’ll probably enjoy them) and I just barely hung on the whole time. It only got more gripping the last 20 or so per cent.

Thank you to the publisher for my early copy.

[Chloe Ditchfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

honestly just felt like it went on and on and on for no real reason, overly descriptive and just wasn’t the fast paced crime / thriller I hoped it would be! clearly v gossip girl inspired though which was cute 👋🏻

[Maria Vittoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confesso che a invogliarmi a leggere questo libro sono stati la copertina stilosa, la promessa di un giallo glamour e il richiamo a Gossip Girl. Da grande fan della serie, mi sono detta: perché non provarci?
Ecco, devo dire che Gossip Girl resta Gossip Girl, ma questo libro, purtroppo, non mi ha entusiasmata più di tanto.
Complice forse anche una settimana particolarmente pesante, ho fatto una fatica immane a leggerlo. E, considerando che si tratta di un giallo leggero, pensato per intrattenere senza troppe pretese, non è proprio un buon segno!
Ci sono troppi personaggi, il lettore viene catapultato nella storia senza avere il tempo di orientarsi e le continue conversazioni finiscono per appesantire la narrazione. Più che avere la sensazione di assistere a un vero sviluppo della trama, mi è sembrato che la storia si trascinasse avanti, senza riuscire davvero a coinvolgermi.
Fortunatamente, sul finale il ritmo migliora: la narrazione diventa più dinamica, non mancano i colpi di scena e la conclusione, tutto sommato, ci può stare. Devo ammettere che sono arrivata alla fine anche con un certo sollievo!
Il mio 7 è forse un po’ generoso, ma ho voluto premiare il finale, che risolleva almeno in parte le sorti del libro, e soprattutto l’ambientazione glamour dell’Upper East Side, che continua a esercitare il suo fascino su di me.
Oppure, chissà, magari è stata davvero la mia settimana pesante a influenzare il giudizio. 🤔
In ogni caso, se cercate un giallo leggero e siete incuriositi dal richiamo a Gossip Girl (che, diciamolo, è praticamente copiato in diversi aspetti), potete provare a dargli una possibilità.

[chelle_reads_books · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is loaded with DRAMA. I did not clock the killer at all. I like how you get two different timelines. It helps you understand everything that’s unfolding in present time. Sad that no one in the book can be called a good friend though.

[ilse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I support womens rights AND womens wrongs.

[✨Lauren✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

The best way to describe this book is Gossip Girl if someone murdered Blair Waldorf at a gala.

It went back and forth between the characters’ senior year at high school and the present day when the murder took place. Time jumps can make a story - especially a murder mystery - confusing if they’re not done right, but this book did it well. The time jumps were at the right places and included relevant information which answered questions I had in previous chapters and for future ones too. I genuinely didn’t know who to trust throughout the book either (apart from Hannah of course) because everyone had such good motives to want Madison dead.

I have to say though, that the ending was slightly disappointing for me. I won’t spoil it, but the book could’ve done with an extra chapter or two to offer more of a resolution to it. Apart from that, Murder On The Upper East Side was a decent book that kept me hooked throughout.

[Niamh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, she wasn’t a very good journalist at all was she?

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is perfect for anyone who is a fan of Gossip Girl and, as someone who was obsessed with both (but read the books probably, like 17 times each), I feel like this was more reminiscent of the books than the show, particularly with the 2016-2017 character dynamics.

Elle, Madison, Theo, and Bash all have very clear similarities to original GG characters, with splits and variations combining the way they are in the books with the way they are in the show. Hannah is interesting because she's almost like a mix of book Jenny and show Dan, which made her fun to follow along with.

Although you primarily follow Hannah, this is told in third person and there are occasional offshoots in the police interviews that leave Hannah to follow different characters. While it is enjoyable to read, I don't think this is one that is too easy to "solve" on your own ahead of time. You just don't get the information early enough and pretty much ever person has a reason to kill Madison. If you love Gossip Girl though, this is a definite pick up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria books, and Gigi Waldorf for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday)]

I live on the UES, read the Gossip Girl books (and met the author!) and loved the show, so was excited to try this. Was further excited to learn that "Gigi Waldorf" is actually Kit Frick, an author whose YA and adult suspense books I've enjoyed.

But I am sad to agree with the 3.2 rating. This probably should have been published as YA and even then, it kind of needed more oomph. With all the Gossip Girl vibes this could have been so much more fun.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!

[Meredith Molloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

📚: Murder on the Upper East Side by Gigi Waldorf
⭐️: 3/5

Gossip Girl, but make it murdery.

That’s really all there is to know about this one. Swap out character names for the iconic Serena, Blair, Dan, Nate, Chuck, and Jenny and I would barely blink an eye at the difference. That said, I loved Gossip Girl, so while this book isn’t going to win any awards, it was a fun read.

Thanks to Atria Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Murder on the Upper East Side is out now.

[Deanna Rodriguez (Cook) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I definitely thought the characters reminded me of the Gossip Girl characters which was pretty cool! However I often found my mind wandering throughout the story and not really being sucked in by the plot. I felt more bored than I think a mystery should have made me feel. I don’t know if it was the pacing or the relatability of the characters for me but I didn’t love this book compared to the high anticipation I had for it.

[Jess Gelder · Rating 1 out of 5]

A good premise but poorly executed. That couldn’t have been skim read any quicker 🥲

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars!

I picked this book up randomly from Tescos I was immediately intrigued just by looking at the cover. Gossip Girl meets murder! I did enjoy the majority of the book and the ending was really clever. I found the characters to be interesting and the premise too. But something about the writing was pulling me back from enjoying myself.

I don’t think I have ever read a book that has so many errors. I don’t mean oh there was a comma in the wrong place I mean full blown errors. It said ‘Madison shook her head.’ Well Madison was dead at this point and it was Elle that was talking. A few ‘He’ instead of ‘He’s’ so it sounded like a cave man was speaking. I’m honestly shocked that it says ‘Simon & Schuster’ and I got it from the supermarket!! I don’t know who edited this book but they need firing. I felt that the book was constantly going off on a tangent. Really long paragraphs filled with nothing. One minute we’re at the school next minute we at Madisons home. I felt like I couldn’t fully immerse myself because it felt like a rough draft. This isn’t really the authors fault by any means because I really did enjoy the story and the characters the editor and everyone who read this over is at fault.

It’s a shame because this book did have some great potential. Gossip Girl was the first TV show I ‘binged’ before Netflix days. This has made me want to watch Gossip Girl from the beginning. What’s even better is there’s also a murder involved. I love a whodunnit murder where every character has a motive. Very Agatha Christie it being in a secret club with hidden compartments and rooms. It’s just such a shame because I feel like this book could have been about 350 pages. There’s no excuse this book isn’t self published and someone is having to write and edit etc. this definitely isn’t the authors fault! The book was really fun and I did enjoy myself but I honestly think Gigi Waldorf needs a good chat with her editor.

[sorrel_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ If Gossip Girl met Mean Girls and had a killer on the loose it would be this book 📱🌸🎀🔪🩸 I want to start by saying thank you so much to Simon and Schuster for sending me a finished copy of this book 🥹 we follow Hannah who is just starting Prescott Academy for her last year at school and trying to find in (this was giving me Katy in Mean Girls vibes). The story is dual timeline from her last year at school and then 10 years later at the school reunion and what a crazy we are taken on 😳 I definitely didn’t see the twists and turns at the end and kept me on the edge of my seat 👏

[Hillorie Monsour · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a complete disappointment- there were many characters flatly introduced and the plot was a total bore. I dnf even though I purchased it.

[L Simpson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, not great. Just went on and on. And on.

[Leeanne Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overly descriptive, lacklustre storyline, felt like it was written by chat gpt!

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Upper East Side really said, “Let’s gather every emotionally damaged rich kid from high school in one room, add champagne, unresolved bullying, designer gowns, and a murder.” Incredible planning. Absolutely no notes. Whoever approved that charity gala deserved a subpoena and maybe a nap.

Hannah should not have gone back into this crowd without protective eyewear. She spent senior year at Prescott Academy trying to survive the social food chain as a scholarship student while Madison and Elle ran the place like tiny dictators with better hair. Ten years later, she walks into the alumni gala and somehow becomes suspicious the second Madison drops dead. Because of course the girl who never fully belonged is the easiest person to blame. Rich people love a scapegoat almost as much as they love naming buildings after themselves.

Madison was one of those queen bees who didn’t just sting people, she kept detailed emotional spreadsheets. Everyone had history with her. Everyone had a reason to hate her. Every time someone acted shocked she was dead, I was like, “Be honest, you rehearsed this face in the bathroom.” The suspect list was basically the entire graduating class plus anyone who ever read the Upper Edge.

And that gossip account? A menace. A digital demon in a private school blazer. Nothing good has ever come from anonymous rich kid gossip, and yet everyone kept acting surprised that years of public humiliation might lead to consequences. The internet was out here ruining lives before brunch and everybody just kept refreshing.

Hannah is easy to root for because she has that exhausted “I cannot believe I’m dealing with these people again” energy. She isn’t trying to be a detective for fun. She’s trying not to get framed by a social circle that already decided she was disposable ten years ago. That part worked for me. There’s something deeply gross about watching privilege protect itself, especially when everyone is smiling through veneers while hiding emotional crime scenes.

I did want a little more bite from the story. With a setup this juicy, I wanted the drama to come swinging harder. There were moments where I could feel the book reaching for full Gossip Girl chaos, but then it would pull back right when I wanted someone to flip a table, reveal a secret sibling, or emotionally destroy a trust fund heir in public. Give me the mess. I came dressed for mess.

Still, I had fun. It’s glossy, suspicious, petty, and packed with people who all needed therapy before they needed another champagne flute. I guessed a few things, side-eyed everybody, and enjoyed watching Hannah dig through the designer garbage pile of Prescott Academy’s past.

This lands at 3 stars for me. Fun, dramatic, and perfectly readable, even if I wanted it to sharpen its claws a little more before going for the throat.

Whodunity Award: For Making Every Former Private School Mean Girl Look Like a Future Dateline Episode

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I came for Upper East Side scandal and left convinced every alumni gala should come with metal detectors, a therapist, and a strict no-gossip-account policy.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gigi Waldorf’s Murder on the Upper East Side was my after-work escape, and apparently nothing helps you unwind quite like champagne, old grudges, obscenely rich people, and murder. Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the gifted copy. Tell me I’m not the only one who finds wealthy people behaving terribly ridiculously entertaining?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ten years ago, Hannah Miller was the scholarship student at Prescott Academy, trying to survive senior year among Manhattan’s elite without attracting too much attention. Unfortunately, Queen Bee Madison DuPont notices her, and suddenly Hannah has a front-row seat to friendships built on money, manipulation, secrets, and who has enough social power to destroy whom.

Now it’s 2026, everyone is back together for Prescott’s glamorous anniversary gala, and Madison drops dead shortly after giving her speech. Hannah was one of the last people seen talking to her, so naturally the finger-pointing begins almost immediately.

Except Madison collected enemies like other people collect shoes.

I really liked Hannah, especially as the outsider looking in on this completely different world. She’s now a journalist, and once she realizes she needs to clear her own name, she starts digging into everyone’s secrets. And there are SO many secrets.

The story moves between Hannah’s senior year and the night of the murder, and I especially enjoyed watching the past slowly explain all those uncomfortable conversations happening in the present. Every time I decided someone was obviously guilty, another revelation had me mentally crossing them off and circling somebody else.

The Upper East Side setting was half the fun. Private clubs, penthouses, designer clothes, old money, new money, and people who have apparently never heard the phrase “actions have consequences.” These characters are messy, privileged, occasionally awful, and incredibly entertaining to watch.

There are quite a few people to keep straight, and I sometimes had to remind myself who was connected to whom, but the mystery kept pulling me back in. I guessed a few things but definitely not everything, and the final stretch had some surprises waiting for me.

Basically, give me prep-school secrets, rich-people drama, a ten-year grudge, and a dead Queen Bee, and I’m seated.

Which would make you more suspicious: the obvious outsider everyone blames or the lifelong friends who know exactly where all the secrets are buried?

#MurderOnTheUpperEastSide #GigiWaldorf #AtriaBooks #MysteryBooks #ThrillerBooks #YAMystery #Bookstagram #BookReview

[Tessa Talks Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

The atmosphere of the book is that Gossip Girl has grown up, went to a very luxurious alumni gala, and as a result someone died.

My thoughts:

Offer me a murder involving the ridiculously wealthy, some buried secrets, penthouse parties, and a social hierarchy that seems to have carried on long after people have graduated from high school, and I'll have a great time. And I did! The setting on the Upper East Side was most likely my favourite aspect of Murder on the Upper East Side. It's flashy, over-the-top and absolutely fun.

The narrative alternates between Hannah's final year at the prestigious Prescott Academy in 2016 and a luxurious alumni charity dinner a decade later, at which the former popular girl Madison DuPont is found dead. Hannah, who had previously been the scholarship student and had never really belonged in this set of people, is now regarded as a suspect. Of course, all the people present have secrets, in fact a great many secrets.

Those secrets were delightful.

I really enjoyed the various grudges and complicated relationships that arose from this particular little system based on wealth and privilege—about who sat where, who belonged, who merely thought they belonged, who had money and who had even more money. 😂 It may sound silly, but that is precisely what gave the situation its tension for me. There's a certain fascination in seeing people who have spent years keeping up a perfect appearance begin to crack when their past starts making an appearance.

It's also very Gossip Girl – with all the privileges, the parties, the queen bees, the outsider watching from the sidelines, and those carefully presented lives which hide some quite ugly truths underneath. And yes, I definitely noticed that the author went with the name Gigi Waldorf. I can see what you've done there. 👀

What confused me a bit was the pace of the story. I wished it had moved more quickly, particularly after the murder and the start of the investigation. There were sections in which I found myself wanting to prompt everybody to hurry up and say, All right, great group of people, we have some secrets to uncover and a murderer to catch. Let's get going. Considering that the mystery revolved around so much scandal, I had expected a bit more urgency.

Yet the atmosphere and the social relationships continued to draw me in, and I was eager to find out what each person was keeping from me; there is indeed something wonderfully exciting about seeing the carefully built world of the ultra-elite start to collapse.

[Catarina | thebookalibi · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Thank you to Gigi Waldorf, Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC!
Upper East Side secrets, vicious gossip and a murder nobody wants to solve too publicly? Sign me up!
If you ever wished Gossip Girl had a murder mystery at its heart, Murder on the Upper East Side by Gigi Waldorf might be just the book for you.
Moving between 2016 and 2026, this story takes us into the glamorous, cutthroat world of Prescott Academy, where old money, social status and carefully guarded secrets determine who rules the school. Hannah is the newcomer trying to find her place among the elite, including queen bees Madison Dupont and Elle Harrington. But when the former classmates reunite years later for a charity gala and Madison ends up dead, old rivalries and buried secrets come rushing back. With an anonymous gossip account, a long list of potential suspects and plenty of reasons to hate the victim, everyone has something to hide.
The biggest draw for me was undoubtedly the Gossip Girl atmosphere. The wealth, the social politics, the complicated friendships and the sheer amount of drama made this an entertaining premise. I loved the idea of revisiting old school rivalries years later and discovering how the secrets people tried to bury could come back to haunt them. The dual timelines also added another layer of intrigue, slowly revealing the relationships and tensions that might explain Madison's murder.
The mystery kept me guessing and I enjoyed trying to work out who could have done it. There are plenty of red herrings and almost everyone seems to have a motive. I also appreciated that this was more of a character driven whodunit than a gruesome thriller, with the focus firmly on secrets, relationships, and the ridiculous behavior of the rich and privileged.
However, I did have a few issues. There are a LOT of characters and storylines to keep track of and, at times, I struggled to remember who was connected to whom. The descriptions of the characters' appearances, designer lifestyles and luxurious surroundings occasionally felt excessive, taking attention away from the mystery itself. I also wanted a faster pace and stronger emotional connections with the protagonists. While I was curious to discover who killed Madison and who was behind the gossip account, I never felt as invested in the answers as I had hoped.
And the ending? Let's just say it didn't completely work for me. The reveal surprised me, but surprising and satisfying are two very different things and I finished the book wishing the execution had lived up to the promise of the premise.

[Simoloverosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un giallo intrigante che intreccia mistero, segreti e rivalità nell’esclusivo mondo dell’alta società newyorkese, dove il lusso e le apparenze nascondono una realtà ben più inquietante. Hannah Miller, frequenta la prestigiosa Prescott Academy grazie a una borsa di studio e si ritrova a fare i conti con le rigide gerarchie sociali della scuola, dominate da figure influenti come Madison DuPont ed Elle Harrington. A complicare gli equilibri è The Upper Edge, un account anonimo di gossip che diffonde segreti e indiscrezioni, trasformando le informazioni private in strumenti di potere. Dieci anni dopo, il ritrovamento del corpo di Madison durante un evento mondano riporta a galla vecchi rancori e coinvolge Hannah in un’indagine che la costringe a confrontarsi con il passato. L’alternanza tra passato e presente ricostruisce i rapporti tra i personaggi, alimenta i sospetti e mostra come le rivalità adolescenziali possano lasciare ferite nel tempo. Hannah è una protagonista intelligente e osservatrice, ma anche vulnerabile al desiderio di essere accettata, mentre Madison incarna il lato più spietato del privilegio, grazie alla sua capacità di manipolare gli altri e sfruttarne le debolezze. Attorno a loro si sviluppa una rete di personaggi ambigui, ciascuno con segreti e possibili moventi, che contribuisce a mantenere viva la curiosità fino alla fine. La scrittura è scorrevole e vivace arricchita da dialoghi brillanti e da un’ironia pungente che alleggerisce la tensione. Le descrizioni di abiti firmati, cocktail, feste e ambienti esclusivi restituiscono efficacemente il fascino dell’Upper East Side, anche se talvolta risultano ridondanti. Il romanzo affronta temi come il privilegio sociale, il bullismo, la manipolazione e il peso della reputazione. La Prescott Academy diventa un microcosmo in cui il valore di una persona sembra dipendere dalla ricchezza e dall’approvazione altrui, mentre il gossip si trasforma in uno strumento capace di condizionare relazioni e destini. Il finale si inserisce coerentemente in questa riflessione, invitando a distinguere tra apparenza e verità, tra responsabilità morale e colpevolezza. Un romanzo coinvolgente, ideale per chi ama i gialli mondani, le atmosfere glamour e le storie corali ricche di segreti. Pur senza distinguersi per una particolare profondità psicologica, conquista con il ritmo, l'ironia e una trama che dimostra come, dietro una facciata impeccabile, possano nascondersi rancori mai sopiti e verità difficili da accettare.

Segui @simoloverosa anche su instagram e tik tok

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over gepriviligieerden en marionetten

2026, Lenox Club. Madison DuPont wordt vemoord tijdens op het honderdjarig jubileum van de prestigieuze Prescott Academy waar sinds jaar en dag de oudgeldelite bepaalt wie wordt geaccepteerd en wie niet.
De misdaadroman bouwt op langs 2 tijdlijnen. In 2016 zitten de rivaliserende Queen Bees Madison en Elle Harrington in hun afstudeerjaar. Zo ook Hannah Miller die met zus Ami belandt in de grijze zone binnen de hiërarchie op de voor hen nieuwe school. Regelmatig zorgen roddelberichten gepost op Instagram in het roddelblad ‘TheUpperEdge’ voor opschudding en drama. 2026, de Lenox Club verandert in een plaats delict wanneer Madison wordt vermoord. Hannah is meteen hoofdverdachte.
In 2016 maak je het reilen en zeilen mee aan de Prescott Academy en verkeer je in het gezelschap van Madison, Elle, Bash, Teddie, Tom, Gemma, meneer Harris en Hannah. Het is een wereld van uitzonderingen en privileges, sociêteiten en exclusieve clubs, van oudgeldelite; merken van exclusieve kleding, schoenen en accessoires flitsen in recordtempo voorbij. In het gezelschap van Hannah ben je getuige van de hoogte- en dieptepunten van de bevoorrechte UpperEastSidejeugd waar gebruiken en gebruikt worden, bespelen en bespeeld worden, aantrekken en afstoten dagelijkse kost zijn en Hannah als pion fungeert in het schaakspel tussen Madison en Elle met altijd de hete adem van de roddelkrant in hun nek.
In 2026 neemt Hannah, ondertussen journaliste, het op zich om de moordenaar van Madison te vinden voordat zij zelf in de boeien wordt geslagen. In een locked-in-setting bestudeert ze de mogelijke daders en legt ze hun geheimen één na één bloot waarmee heel veel oud zeer, machtspelletjes en manipulatie aan het licht komt en het verleden onverbiddelijk het heden inhaalt.
‘Moord in de Upper East Side’ is een whodunit en een slow burner die gaat over fascinatie, oppervlakkigheid, egocentrisme, manipulatie, wreedheid, geslepenheid, afrekening, wraak en moord. De twee tijdlijnen wisselen voortdurend met elkaar af. Gebeurtenissen in 2016 gaan fases in de Lenox Club in 2026 vooraf en geven context aan wat 10 jaar later gebeurt.
Voor de fans van Gossip Girl; jullie zullen met dit boek jullie hartje kunnen ophalen!
@loftbooksnl en @vbkbelgie dank voor het leesexemplaar.
3.5*