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Guided #0
Busted
The prequel to Emma Smith's debut young adult mystery, Guided.
It was only ever meant to be for the holidays...
Outcast Sharon is convinced she’s destined to be alone... until she meets Robin Finchly. Robin understands her. Robin wants to be with her, unconditionally - and he doesn’t care who knows it.
Then Robin ends up dead, floating in the lake at a local summer camp. Trapped in a cabin on the wild Northumberland fells, Sharon feels determined to find out who killed him - even if dark forces are at play, dragging her deeper and deeper under the surface of the lake...
What if it wasn’t murder, after all... but something much, much worse?
A young adult mystery set in the eighties, exploring first love, friendship and the supernatural.
It was only ever meant to be for the holidays...
Outcast Sharon is convinced she’s destined to be alone... until she meets Robin Finchly. Robin understands her. Robin wants to be with her, unconditionally - and he doesn’t care who knows it.
Then Robin ends up dead, floating in the lake at a local summer camp. Trapped in a cabin on the wild Northumberland fells, Sharon feels determined to find out who killed him - even if dark forces are at play, dragging her deeper and deeper under the surface of the lake...
What if it wasn’t murder, after all... but something much, much worse?
A young adult mystery set in the eighties, exploring first love, friendship and the supernatural.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 25, 2026
About the author
Emma Smith
15 books591 followersEmma Smith is a young adult and children's author from Yorkshire. She wrote and illustrated her first “book” when she was seven years old and hasn’t stopped writing since. When she’s not walking on the beach or drinking an iced coffee with a crumpet and some chocolate, you’ll probably find her reading something dark and mysterious… and most certainly YA.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 2, 2026
I received this book as an ARC reader in exchange for an honest review.
Let me start by saying Miss Emma Smith NEVER MISSES. Every twist, every turn, even now I sit here questioning what was real and what wasn’t. I adore the sapphic representation she sneaks into books, even if it’s not the FMC’s relationship, it’s wonderful to be represented. The cosy camp setting to this book made for the most perfect autumnal read (even if it is set in the spring) and even though it took me a while to read due to being so busy, every single time I picked this book up, I struggled to put it down. In a time full of writers using Ai, it is so refreshing to read an original idea that has honestly been executed to perfection. This book has easily become a new favourite of mine and the addition of diary entries, newspaper reports and time jumps make for a deeply intriguing story
Let me start by saying Miss Emma Smith NEVER MISSES. Every twist, every turn, even now I sit here questioning what was real and what wasn’t. I adore the sapphic representation she sneaks into books, even if it’s not the FMC’s relationship, it’s wonderful to be represented. The cosy camp setting to this book made for the most perfect autumnal read (even if it is set in the spring) and even though it took me a while to read due to being so busy, every single time I picked this book up, I struggled to put it down. In a time full of writers using Ai, it is so refreshing to read an original idea that has honestly been executed to perfection. This book has easily become a new favourite of mine and the addition of diary entries, newspaper reports and time jumps make for a deeply intriguing story
September 25, 2026
4.5 ★
Craving a change and to connect with others, Sharon manages to get into her local summer camp, where everything changes. She meets friends for life, falls in love and loses it too quickly. Determined to find the killer, she begins to weigh the possibility that her first love’s death wasn’t a murder but maybe something else entirely.
Emma Smith is back and thank god. This is my sixth book of Emmas, and each has its distinct voice while keeping the core of her writing, which to me is an honest relatability. Every time I read one of her books, I'm shocked by how much I feel I know these characters in real life and Busted didn’t change that. Sharon’s character is so lived in and well written, I could definitely relate to her feeling like a fish out of water as she begins living her life in a truer way to herself. Her relationship with Robin is lovely and he was a sweet character. What I especially loved is Sharon's female friendships; there wasn’t a moment I doubted their connection. They felt solid, which I think was necessary in a book like this, which is filled with the unknown. The witchy, paranormal mystery aspect of Busted is so entertaining. The constant doubt and wonder about whether what they’re experiencing is really reality was such a great driving force to the story. I thought we were going somewhere else with the ending, so I was surprised at the reveal, yet I still think the end was a little cliffhanger, which has made me want to dive into the Guided series this is a prequel of…
Thank you to the author, Emma Smith, for sending me an ARC of Busted. I can't wait for people to read this lovely spooky book!!
Craving a change and to connect with others, Sharon manages to get into her local summer camp, where everything changes. She meets friends for life, falls in love and loses it too quickly. Determined to find the killer, she begins to weigh the possibility that her first love’s death wasn’t a murder but maybe something else entirely.
Emma Smith is back and thank god. This is my sixth book of Emmas, and each has its distinct voice while keeping the core of her writing, which to me is an honest relatability. Every time I read one of her books, I'm shocked by how much I feel I know these characters in real life and Busted didn’t change that. Sharon’s character is so lived in and well written, I could definitely relate to her feeling like a fish out of water as she begins living her life in a truer way to herself. Her relationship with Robin is lovely and he was a sweet character. What I especially loved is Sharon's female friendships; there wasn’t a moment I doubted their connection. They felt solid, which I think was necessary in a book like this, which is filled with the unknown. The witchy, paranormal mystery aspect of Busted is so entertaining. The constant doubt and wonder about whether what they’re experiencing is really reality was such a great driving force to the story. I thought we were going somewhere else with the ending, so I was surprised at the reveal, yet I still think the end was a little cliffhanger, which has made me want to dive into the Guided series this is a prequel of…
Thank you to the author, Emma Smith, for sending me an ARC of Busted. I can't wait for people to read this lovely spooky book!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
look, i swearrrrr i don’t give out 5 ⭐️ easily, but yes when it comes to emma smith it’s five stars all around 🙂↕️ i genuinly can’t think of a single book of hers i didn’t enjoy, ok?
this book did nottt change that! insane storyline and i couldn’t guess righttt up until the end. i was thinking it was one thing just bc im always able to guess but of courseee not. emma did NOT disappoint (as always 😋)
i recommend her books to alll of my friends but yall NEED to read everythinggggg she’s written. this one def was a lil different but in the best way possible!! esp for her first trilogy, this ate down so fricking hard, hello??? a must read for every mystery lover 💗💗
perfect for teens, or even adults who like a cozy murder! this is amazing for spooky season! i suggest this to every and any holly jackson, karen mcmanus, freida mcfadden, shari lapena, and jlb lovers!!
when a group of underdog kids find each other at a snazzy camp over easter break, they immediately click. there’s characters we don’t trust, people we need to see in a relationship, and others who we see ourselves in (sharon, my baby). everything is perfect, the food, the activities, the friend group. butt, the Brownfell Wanderer won’t leave them be, so they become obsessed with getting rid of it. their perfect break can’t get ruined by a ghost who takes a kid as a sacrifice every year. things are not as not as they seem. we see the before and after, right up until the murder happens.
but who did it? someone at camp? their friends? or was it simply the unexplainable supernatural?
this book did nottt change that! insane storyline and i couldn’t guess righttt up until the end. i was thinking it was one thing just bc im always able to guess but of courseee not. emma did NOT disappoint (as always 😋)
i recommend her books to alll of my friends but yall NEED to read everythinggggg she’s written. this one def was a lil different but in the best way possible!! esp for her first trilogy, this ate down so fricking hard, hello??? a must read for every mystery lover 💗💗
perfect for teens, or even adults who like a cozy murder! this is amazing for spooky season! i suggest this to every and any holly jackson, karen mcmanus, freida mcfadden, shari lapena, and jlb lovers!!
when a group of underdog kids find each other at a snazzy camp over easter break, they immediately click. there’s characters we don’t trust, people we need to see in a relationship, and others who we see ourselves in (sharon, my baby). everything is perfect, the food, the activities, the friend group. butt, the Brownfell Wanderer won’t leave them be, so they become obsessed with getting rid of it. their perfect break can’t get ruined by a ghost who takes a kid as a sacrifice every year. things are not as not as they seem. we see the before and after, right up until the murder happens.
but who did it? someone at camp? their friends? or was it simply the unexplainable supernatural?
September 28, 2026
I was so excited to read this, after loving Guided and Wasted and it didn't disappoint. It was really interesting getting to see Sharon's character and have more context around her!
The setting was so gorgeously described. The Northumberland beach, the lake, the camp in the woods. There's beauty in the descriptions of the changing seasons but also grittiness which creates a real sense of unease throughout the novel.
This duality of idyllic scenes and underlying unease was present in the story too. There were scenes that just captured being a teenager so well - finding friends, first relationships, care-free hours spent by the lake. But at the same time, characters act oddly and the Brownfell Wanderer folklore starts to feel real.
The tension slowly builds up as more strange occurrences happened and it really did keep me guessing and coming up with my own theories, wondering what was real and what wasn't.
I loved the botanical and witchy element of this. It fitted well with the tension and unease and it was a great way to bring in a discussion of the role of misogyny in witch hunt too. The book discusses a number of other important topics too, such as the class divide in the UK especially in northern England, grief and LGBTQ+ rights in the 80s.
The characters were all so well written and I felt I got an insight into each of them and their very different experiences. It made for a really great coming of age mystery that continued to haunt me after I'd finished.
The setting was so gorgeously described. The Northumberland beach, the lake, the camp in the woods. There's beauty in the descriptions of the changing seasons but also grittiness which creates a real sense of unease throughout the novel.
This duality of idyllic scenes and underlying unease was present in the story too. There were scenes that just captured being a teenager so well - finding friends, first relationships, care-free hours spent by the lake. But at the same time, characters act oddly and the Brownfell Wanderer folklore starts to feel real.
The tension slowly builds up as more strange occurrences happened and it really did keep me guessing and coming up with my own theories, wondering what was real and what wasn't.
I loved the botanical and witchy element of this. It fitted well with the tension and unease and it was a great way to bring in a discussion of the role of misogyny in witch hunt too. The book discusses a number of other important topics too, such as the class divide in the UK especially in northern England, grief and LGBTQ+ rights in the 80s.
The characters were all so well written and I felt I got an insight into each of them and their very different experiences. It made for a really great coming of age mystery that continued to haunt me after I'd finished.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review - thank you Emma for letting me be an ARC reader once again!
This book was crazy. It had my heart beating so fast throughout most of the chapters as I tried to work out what was real and what wasn’t ! I really enjoyed the writing style which really helped to see Sharon’s frame of mind throughout the book.
The book was fast paced but allowed plenty of time to fall in love with the characters and their relationships (Becks & Gem ❤️)
It’s the kind of summer camp I dreamed of as a kid (minus the murder!)
I haven’t yet read the sequels to this but will definitely be picking them up now.
This book was crazy. It had my heart beating so fast throughout most of the chapters as I tried to work out what was real and what wasn’t ! I really enjoyed the writing style which really helped to see Sharon’s frame of mind throughout the book.
The book was fast paced but allowed plenty of time to fall in love with the characters and their relationships (Becks & Gem ❤️)
It’s the kind of summer camp I dreamed of as a kid (minus the murder!)
I haven’t yet read the sequels to this but will definitely be picking them up now.
September 29, 2026
I received an ARC copy, all opinions are my own.
This was my first Emma Smith book and it was quite entertaining. It was confusing at times with the time jumps but it made for a fun read! I didn’t see the end coming at all!
I loved the witchcraft aspects and I always love to see lgbtq+ representation.
I’m excited to read more of Emma’s books
This was my first Emma Smith book and it was quite entertaining. It was confusing at times with the time jumps but it made for a fun read! I didn’t see the end coming at all!
I loved the witchcraft aspects and I always love to see lgbtq+ representation.
I’m excited to read more of Emma’s books
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews