Stay Dead - by April Henry

About the Book

Entrusted with a key by her dying mother, sixteen-year-old Milan pretends she perished along with her mother as she navigates freezing conditions, outsmarts assassins, and unravels a deadly conspiracy to save herself and others.

Book Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author April Henry delivers a thrilling murder mystery featuring a teen with an assassin on her trail fighting to uncover the truth behind a government cover up, perfect for fans of Karen McManus.

"A page-turning cat-and-mouse survival story." --Kirkus Reviews

Sometimes, the only way to live is to make sure the world thinks you're dead . . .

In the aftermath of a car accident that claimed the life of her senator father, sixteen-year-old Milan finds herself adrift, expelled from her third boarding school. Milan's mother, who has assumed the senate seat, diverts her private plane to pick up her daughter. But on their way home, a bomb rips off a wing and the plane crashes in the mountains. In her final moments, Milan's mother entrusts her with a key. She reveals it will unlock the evidence that so many people have already died for--including Milan's father. The only way Milan can survive, her mom tells her, is to let everyone believe she died with the other passengers.

​Milan is forced to navigate a perilous descent in freezing conditions while outwitting everything from a drone to wild animals. With relentless assassins on her trail, she must untangle the web of deceit and save herself and countless others. Will she piece together the truth in time?

"Milan is in a race against time and terror to get to her parents' one trusted friend before she ends up dead, too... readers will be intrigued and thrilled to see how it all turns out." --Booklist

"The cat-and-mouse between Milan and Lenny adds a thick layer of tension, especially as Lenny closes in on her target... things come together nicely as the climax looms. Perfect for fans of Mindy McGinnis." --School Library Journal

Maine North Star YA Award

Review Quotes

Praise for Stay Dead:

Maine North Star YA Award

"When the senator's plane goes down, Milan miraculously escapes, going on a multiday survival trek through snowy, dangerous woods.... Milan is in a race against time and terror to get to her parents' one trusted friend before she ends up dead, too. Milan's trek through the freezing woods shows she's clever, and readers will be intrigued and thrilled to see how it all turns out."--Booklist

"In turns, the novel follows the stories of Milan, Lenny, her would-be assassin, and Janie, a dairy farmer who leased her land to Prospect Power for natural gas extraction (commonly called fracking). The cat-and-mouse between Milan and Lenny adds a thick layer of tension, especially as Lenny closes in on her target.... Perfect for fans of What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson or Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis."--School Library Journal

"A teenager's survival skills are put to the test--along with her relationships with the people she relies on the most..... The three plotlines blend seamlessly, with the dramatic initial setup drawing readers into this fast-paced thriller.... A page-turning cat-and-mouse survival story."--Kirkus Reviews

"April Henry has done it again - we're dragged into a tension-filled story that refuses to let go. Pacy survival tale, eco-thriller, and murder mystery all rolled into one. Stay Dead will knock your socks off!"--Ellie Marney, New York Times bestselling author of None Shall Sleep

"If ever a book should be called a page-turner, it is this one. April Henry's latest novel grabbed me with its explosive opening, layered mystery, and its short, sharp chapters, which meant I couldn't put it down. A wonderfully compulsive thriller."

--Vincent Ralph, New York Times bestselling author of Secrets Never Die and Lock the Doors.

"A taut, tense, spectacularly cinematic novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seat. Stay Dead is April Henry at the top of her game."--Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces and The Agathas series

"This brilliant survival thriller has twists and turns that kept me breathless, a heroine with true grit, and a ripped-from-the-headlines message that no one should ignore."--Margot Harrison, author of Only She Came Back, We Made It All Up, and The Killer In Me

About the Author

April Henry is the New York Times bestselling author of many acclaimed mysteries for adults and over fifteen novels for teens, including the bestselling Girl, Stolen; Girl Forgotten, which was an Edgar Award winner, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, and a Tome Student Literacy Society It List Selection; Two Truths and a Lie, which was a YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers; and The Girl I Used to Be, which was nominated for an Edgar Award and won the Anthony Award for Best YA Mystery. She lives in Oregon and invites you to visit her at aprilhenry.com.