The May Queen Murders - by Sarah Jude (Paperback)

About the Book

Sixteen-year-old Ivy Templeton has lived her entire life in Rowan's Glen, a remote farming commune in the Missouri Ozarks. She and her cousin Heather are closer than sisters and they share everything with each other--or so Ivy thinks. When Heather goes missing after a May Day celebration, Ivy discovers both her best friend and her community are as full of secrets as the woods that surround them.

Book Synopsis

Stay on the roads. Don't enter the woods. Never go out at night. Those are the rules in Rowan's Glen, a remote farming community in the Missouri Ozarks where Ivy Templeton's family has lived for centuries. It's an old-fashioned way of life, full of superstition and traditions, and sixteen-year-old Ivy loves it. The other kids at school may think the Glen kids are weird, but Ivy doesn't care--she has her cousin Heather as her best friend. The two girls share everything with each other--or so Ivy thinks. When Heather goes missing after a May Day celebration, Ivy discovers that both her best friend and her beloved hometown are as full of secrets as the woods that surround them.

To find her cousin, Ivy must break every rule she has ever known. But what secrets are the woods--and her family--willing to kill to protect?

• Folk Horror: Rowan's Glen is an isolated Ozarks community steeped in superstition, death omens, and the terrifying legend of a monster who lives in the woods.
• A Small Town Mystery: When sixteen-year-old Ivy's best friend, Heather, vanishes after the annual May Day celebration, the search for answers reveals the town itself is the biggest suspect.
• Best Friend's Secrets: Ivy thought she and Heather shared everything. But the deeper she digs, the more she realizes her cousin was hiding a dangerous secret life.
• Atmospheric and Gothic: With a palpable sense of dread and rules that forbid entering the woods after dark, this is a chilling read perfect for fans of rural noir and page-turning suspense.

Review Quotes

* "Jude's characters exude authenticity, and the suspense stays palpable through the final pages." --Publishers Weekly, STARRED review "Poetic, multisensory narration immerses the reader in mystery and horror. Multiple red herrings keep the pages turning." --VOYA "It will appeal to readers of traditional horror titles as well as the more casual fan looking for an exciting, creepy read. The macabre descriptions sprinkled throughout are haunting and edgy and will thrill readers who like to be spooked." --School Library Journal "A wayward girl and a monster in the woods make a familiar tale, but Jude gets it just right, portioning out the precise amount of gore, secrets, sex, and deception to make a thrillingly dark murder mystery with touches of horror and the supernatural." --Bulletin "Debuting author Jude vividly describes the pastoral community, cultivating a sensual sense of atmosphere with descriptions of smells, textures, and sounds." --Booklist "This present-day mystery is ripe with superstition and serves up an atmospheric, authentic-feeling setting." --Kirkus "This book weeps atmosphere. Rich, intense, and sporting a cast of characters you will fall in love with, it draws you into the sordid doings of Rowan's Glen and doesn't let you go." --Hillary Monahan, author of Mary: The Summoning "Dark, dangerous, and drippingly gothic." --Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten and the Don't Get Mad series

About the Author

Sarah Jude grew up believing you had to hold your breath when passing a graveyard. Now she writes about cemeteries, murder, and folklore. The May Queen Murders is her first book for teen readers. Sarah resides in Missouri with her husband, three children, and two dogs. www.sarahjude.com