The fourth girl A novel

Staub (Windfall) examines the corrosive power of shared secrets in this devilish thriller. Childhood friends Midge Kennedy, Kelly Barrow, Talia Shaw, and Caroline Winterfield grew up together in the hollowed-out town of Mulberry Bay, N.Y., united by their shared dream of getting out. On prom night in 2000, Caroline walked out of her family home and into the woods, never to be seen again. Only the other three girls know where she went--a secret that's bonded and haunted them across the intervening decades. Twenty-five years later, Midge, Kelly, and Talia return to Mulberry Bay, hoping Caroline is still alive and will finally make good on their long-stalled plans to reunite. Shortly after the women arrive, however, they start receiving mysterious, threatening letters that reference secrets only Caroline would know. A murder and sightings of a strange figure skulking around town feed their fears that the friend they've been protecting for decades is now trying to kill them. Staub effortlessly glides between the immediate aftermath of Caroline's disappearance and the women's increasingly tense reunion, doling out key details with a steady hand before walloping readers with a surprise ending. It's dark, satisfying fun. Agent: Laura Blake Peterson, Curtis Brown Ltd. (Mar.)

Four friends who separated when one mysteriously disappeared reconnect years later to finally learn the truth. Back in 1997, four inseparable friends imagined they'd be in each other's lives forever. Growing up in the town of Mulberry Bay, New York, each of the girls imagined a different future for herself after high school. Even-tempered, chatty Talia Shaw is heading off to Sarah Lawrence. Beautiful, mischievous Kelly Barrow is determined to break the hearts of wealthy playboys. Midge Kennedy is set on following in her police officer father's footsteps. And then there's Caroline Winterfield. Unlike her older sister, Mary Beth, who's something of a wild child, Caroline's always wanted to follow her parents' rules, even if they are a little rigid and religion-inflected. A fast-forward from 2000 to the present day finds Talia, Kelly, and Midge estranged from each other. They've taken very different paths, and there's a secret that's torn the friendship apart. Could it all come down to the truth about what happened to Caroline on prom night, their last night together? When Caroline couldn't be found the next morning, the town mourned her disappearance as a drowning. But at least one of the former friends knows what really happened. As Midge investigates the sudden death of Caroline's former boyfriend, Gordy, the past may be resurfacing in a way that brings the truth to light. Distinctive voices add depth and flavor to an otherwise routine storyline. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.