When Wendy Geller’s body is found in Central Park after the night of a rager, newspaper headlines scream,”Death in the Park: Party Girl Found Strangled.” But shy Rain, once Wendy’s best friend, knows there was more to Wendy than just “party girl.” As she struggles to separate the friend she knew from the tangle of gossip and headlines, Rain becomes determined to discover the truth about the murder.
Written in a voice at once immediate, riveting, and utterly convincing, Mariah Frederick’s mystery brilliantly exposes the cracks in this exclusive New York City world and the teenagers that move within it.
Rain hasn’t been friends with Wendy for awhile, Wendy’s life took a “bad girl” turn and they just grew apart. Wendy was often out partying, drinking, and seen with a different guy often. Rain, though, knows Wendy has a heart of gold and wasn’t this person everyone was making her out to be.
Mariah Fredricks has created a fascinating murder-mystery with a splash of high school drama. The Girl in the Park opens right after Wendy is found dead and throughout the entire book I found myself wondering just who the “bad” guy was. I found myself heartbroken for Wendy, a character we never really “meet”. This is a girl who had many layers and you can’t help but wonder just what happened to change her.
The Girl in the Park follows Rain as she tries to uncover what really happened and as she comes to terms with her friendship with Wendy. Rain is an incredibly likeable and normal character. Along Rain’s search there are so many people twisting words and actions for the media. The entire time I felt like I was really a part of this horrible crime and getting an inside look at what it’s like – from police questioning to not knowing who to really trust.
The ending of The Girl in the Park, while I suspected it early on, kept me doubting myself the entire time. Even with my suspicions I was still shocked when the big reveal came to be.
The Girl in the Park is the perfect book for suspense/mystery lovers!
I received my copy from the publisher via NetGalley.