Prom Queen – ARC Book Review

Bailey stood on the stage, her crown glittering under the high school lights as she blew kisses to those glaring beneath her. Despite the celebrations, something didn’t feel right. She wasn’t supposed to be prom queen, and someone would make her pay for it…

Twenty years ago, my best friend, Bailey , was found dead by the train tracks, half of our friendship locket missing from her pale neck. She never took that off. Officially, it was ruled a tragic accident – but I knew better. She’d been crowned prom queen only hours earlier, and someone’s jealousy had finally gotten to them.

Now I have been forced to return to my childhood home, to the small lakeside town, and the group of friends I grew up with. Back to the scene of the crime that ruined my life, and stole my best friend away from me forever. I need a fresh slate, but I am seeing Bailey everywhere. A quick flash of her locket on a woman in a café surely can’t be a coincidence?

As I walk along the street, I avoid the suspicious stares of my former classmates. Everyone here thinks I had something to do with Bailey’s death. Sure, we did things we shouldn’t have as teenagers, but who didn’t? But when I start to hear noises in my house and receive threatening notes, I realize someone here never wanted me to come back, and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep me away…

Someone in this small town murdered my best friend the night she was crowned prom queen, and now they’re after me. We all have our secrets, but who would kill for them?

In 2003, Bailey Maddox apparently committed suicide by jumping out of the bridge. The police ruled her death as suicide but some of the towns people believed that she was murdered. At the time of the murder, Bailey was made the prom queen. Now present day, Bailey’s former friend Brooke returns back to the small town. A woman named Hannah is doing a podcast on about Bailey’s death and Brooke found Hannah wearing Bailey’s necklace–the necklace that Brooke had given to Bailey twenty years ago. And Hannah wanted to do an interview with Brooke–what are the secrets Brooke is having about Bailey’s death? Was Bailey murdered or…committed suicide like the police think?

This was a nail biting thriller–and it was quiet unputdownable. It was also a page turner and there were twists and turns along the way. The story divides between the past and present–the past oulining the friendship between Bailey and Brooke and their friendship downfall and present with Brooke working with Hannah on the podcast. I like the fact that everyone, including the main character Brooke is a suspect of Bailey’s murder so we never know who the murderer is until towards the end of the chapter. The ending was unexpected and I do like the little cliffhanger towards the end, making the reader guess about what is going to happen next.

Think about the movie ” Prom Night” when reading this book–a kind of horror/thriller/slasher movier. This book completely worth five stars in my opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.