The Killer's Cousin
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About the Author

Nancy Werlin writes YA fiction that ranges from realistic fiction to suspense to fantasy, often breaking the boundaries between genres. Her books have gathered awards too numerous to mention, but including National Book award finalist, Edgar award winner and finalist, New York Times bestseller, L.A. Book Prize finalist, and IndieBound Top Ten. Nancy's first novel, Are You Alone on Purpose, was a Publishers Weekly Flying Start pick.
 
Of Nancy's suspense fiction, Sarah Weinman says, "Chances are, many of you haven't heard of this author. That would be a shame, because she's simply one of the best crime novelists going right now. Period." These titles are where Nancy habitually breaks genre-separation rules and include The Rules of Survival (a National Book Award finalist), The Killer's Cousin (Edgar award winner), Locked Inside (Edgar award nominee), Black Mirror (which the Washington Post called "an edge-of-your seat thriller"), and Double Helix (named to multiple best-of-year book lists). 
 
Nancy's unusual fantasy fiction was inspired by the ballad Scarborough Fair and includes the loose trilogy Impossible (a New York Times bestseller), Extraordinary (featuring a rare thing in fantasy fiction: a Jewish heroine), and her personal beloved, Unthinkable. 
 
For fun, Nancy also writes and draws a graphic memoir in comics, using her Tumblr to self-publish an episode three times a week. 
 
Her favorite book in all the world is Jane Eyre. 
 
A graduate of Yale, Nancy lives near Boston, Massachusetts with her husband.

Reviews

" Teens will find this tautly plotted thriller, rich in complex, finely drawn characters, an absolute page-turner."
--"Booklist"
" The novel's gothic flavor, compelling minor characters . . . and subtle exploration of guilt and complicity add texture to this tense psychological drama."
--"Publishers Weekly," starred
" Readers will be hard pressed to put this book down."
--"VOYA," starred

"Teens will find this tautly plotted thriller, rich in complex, finely drawn characters, an absolute page-turner."
--"Booklist"
"The novel's gothic flavor, compelling minor characters . . . and subtle exploration of guilt and complicity add texture to this tense psychological drama."
--"Publishers Weekly," starred
"Readers will be hard pressed to put this book down."
--"VOYA," starred

Many secrets bubble just beneath the surface of this skillful thriller narrated by a high-school senior who has been accused‘and acquitted‘of murdering his girlfriend. David Yaffe moves from Baltimore to Cambridge to avoid publicity, but instead of finding refuge with Uncle Vic, Aunt Julia and cousin Lily, he is shown to their attic apartment and expected to fend for himself. His relatives appear to be conducting a cold war. Still blaming each other for their daughter Kathy's suicide four years ago, Julia and Vic have stopped speaking to each other. The one who suffers the most from their silence is 11-year-old Lily, who shows signs of being emotionally disturbed. Suspense rises to a feverish pitch as pieces of a complex puzzle fall into place, involving Kathy's death and Julia and Vic's estrangement from each other and from David's parents. Even Kathy's ghost seems to make an appearance, imploring David to "help Lily." Meanwhile, Lily is doing everything she can to turn her parents against him. David's attempts to pull the family together fail miserably until, in the aftermath of a chilling climax, he confronts his own demons as he attempts to help Lily dispel hers. The novel's gothic flavor, compelling minor characters (David's skinhead friend, Frank, and Raina, a college student and artist) and subtle exploration of guilt and complicity add texture to this tense psychological drama. Werlin (Are You Alone on Purpose?) leaves enough unanswered questions to make readers want to keep lights burning a little longer than usual. Ages 14-up. (Oct.)

" Teens will find this tautly plotted thriller, rich in complex, finely drawn characters, an absolute page-turner."
--"Booklist"
" The novel's gothic flavor, compelling minor characters . . . and subtle exploration of guilt and complicity add texture to this tense psychological drama."
--"Publishers Weekly," starred
" Readers will be hard pressed to put this book down."
--"VOYA," starred
"Teens will find this tautly plotted thriller, rich in complex, finely drawn characters, an absolute page-turner."
--"Booklist"
"The novel's gothic flavor, compelling minor characters . . . and subtle exploration of guilt and complicity add texture to this tense psychological drama."
--"Publishers Weekly," starred
"Readers will be hard pressed to put this book down."
--"VOYA," starred

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