For fans of One of US is Lying, Cruel Intentions, and The Inheritance Games comes a pulse-pounding YA thriller about the mysterious disappearance of a brilliant but complicated tech prodigy from an elite New England boarding school. Welcome to Branson Academy, where secrets can kill, trust is a dangerous game, and the deadliest lessons aren't taught in the classroom. When tech prodigy Mackenzie Fleming disappears, her best friend Lucas Rambally is determined to find her. But the deeper he digs, the darker it gets. Blackmail, death threats, secret societies, corporate espionage... This is way bigger than a missing person case. As his search intensifies, Lucas uncovers a web of dark secrets that could bring Branson Academy to its knees. Then Branson insider and chess master Ivy Ishihara starts dropping sinister chess metaphors. And they're not just clever wordplay—they're dire warnings. Lucas has stumbled into a game he was never meant to play, and one wrong move could prove fatal. The clock is ticking, and to find out what really happened to Mackenzie, Lucas must answer one simple Is his friend running for her life, or is her disappearance a mind-blowing con that conceals something far more shocking than anyone could have imagined?
Author
Gledé Browne Kabongo writes gripping, unputdownable psychological thrillers—unflinching tales of deception, secrecy, danger and family. She is the Eric Hoffer, Next Generation Indie and IPPY Award-winning author of the Fearless Series, Our Wicked Lies, Swan Deception, and Conspiracy of Silence. Her novel Winds of Fear was voted one of 24 Books to Read During the Coronavirus by Rhode Island Monthly Magazine. Gledé holds a master’s degree in communications, and has spoken at multiple industry events including the Boston Book Festival. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime (SinC), Crime Writers of Color (CWoC), and The Association of Rhode Island Authors (ARIA). She’s also an instructor with the New Hampshire Writers Project (NHWP) where she leads workshops and webinars on fiction writing and publishing. She lives outside Boston with her husband and two sons.
