What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

Nothing ever happens in sleepy Fairhill, Vermont, but that changes the day a local farmer finds the naked body of Diana Brewer beneath a wake of turkey vultures in his field. She was the prettiest seventeen-year-old at Fairhill High School, and the community is shocked.

The farmer's daughter Ellen is planning her wedding to the school gym teacher Brad Turner, unaware that Diana has accused Brad of inappropriate behavior. The school principal didn't report it, although he knows it wasn't a misunderstanding. Diana's single mom Brenda is in a haze of guilt; if she didn't work nights, this wouldn't have happened.

The police investigate Diana's possessive boyfriend, Cameron, who was the last to see her, who doesn't tell they had a huge fight. His parents back him, guilty or not, knowing he lied about his whereabouts.

Another suspect is a creep who stalked her at her job. He's done it to other girls, some of whom have disappeared. Brenda feels her daughter's presence around her because Diana is with her—we hear her spiritual thoughts as she tries to remember what happened to her.

Her best friends Riley and Evan start their own investigation, with Evan writing his feelings in his journal and Riley resorting to trying an Ouija board.

Everyone has a secret in a Shari Lapena novel, and this murder blows the whole community open. More girls are coming forward about Brad's behavior, and Diana can now recall the events of the night she died, and who murdered her.

I found that compared to her other mysteries, this lacked thrills, but being more of a novel than a thriller showed her growth as a writer.

Solid, well-written, and enjoyable.

2024 / Tradeback / 336 pages

My other reviews for Shari Lapena:

Everyone Here Is Lying

The End Of Her