Wellington, Joelle - Girls Who Play Dead

Girls Who Play Dead

Author: Joelle Wellington

Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Horror

Pages: 408

Publisher: Harper Fire

Release Date: November 11, 2025

Format: Paperback

Size (in cm): 19.9 (height) x 12.8 (width) x 2.6 (depth)

Synopsis:

Two siblings investigate the murder of a friend only to unearth even more deadly mysteries in their small town in this page-turning young adult thriller from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games.

When Mikky Graves left his small, stifling hometown of Prophets Lake to live with his estranged mother, he thought nothing could ever make him return for good.

Until his sister Kyla’s best friend, Erin, is murdered.

Mikky never worried about leaving Kyla behind at their family-owned funeral home so long as she had Erin. But when Mikky heads home, determined to help Kyla grieve, the sister he encounters barely resembles the one he remembers. Mikky decides, then and there, to do the one thing that seems even more impossible than stay.

As Kyla spirals further into her rage and secrets, Mikky realizes the only thing that can help his sister is finding the truth about who killed Erin. But the more he investigates, the further he’s pulled into other ugly mysteries of Prophets Lake and the beauty brand that is its lifeblood. The town’s rot runs deep, and everyone has something to hide. Perhaps no one more than Kyla herself.

LGBT Themes:

• Sapphic

Relevant Tags:

Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Horror, Contemporary, Queer, Fiction, LGBT, Sapphic