Two Can Keep a Secret

Ellery


 

Friday, August 30

 

 

If I believed in omens, this would be a bad one.

 

There s only one suitcase left on the baggage carousel. It s bright pink, covered with Hello Kitty stickers, and definitely not mine.

 

My brother, Ezra, watches it pass us for the fourth time, leaning on the handle of his own oversized suitcase. The crowd around the carousel is nearly gone, except for a couple arguing about who was supposed to keep track of their rental car reservation. Maybe you should take it, Ezra suggests. Seems like whoever owns it wasn t on our flight, and I bet they have an interesting wardrobe. A lot of polka dots, probably. And glitter. His phone chimes, and he pulls it out of his pocket. Nana s outside.

 

I can t believe this, I mutter, kicking the toe of my sneaker against the carousel s metal side. My entire life was in that suitcase.

 

It s a slight exaggeration. My actual entire life was in La Puente, California, until about eight hours ago. Other than a few boxes shipped to Vermont last week, the suitcase contains what s left.

 

I guess we should report it. Ezra scans the baggage claim area, running a hand over his close-cropped hair. He used to have thick dark curls like mine, hanging in his eyes, and I still can t get used to the cut he got over the summer. He tilts his suitcase and pivots toward the information desk. Over here, probably.

 

The skinny guy behind the desk looks like he could still be in high school, with a rash of red pimples dotting his cheeks and jawline. A gold name tag pinned crookedly to his blue vest reads Andy. Andy s thin lips twist when I tell him about my suitcase, and he cranes his neck toward the Hello Kitty bag still making carousel laps. Flight 5624 from Los Angeles? With a layover in Charlotte? I nod. You sure that

Karen M. McManus earned her BA in English from the College of the Holy Cross and her MA in journalism from Northeastern University. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying, its sequel One of Us Is Next, Two Can Keep a Secret and The Cousins. Her work has been published in more than 40 languages. To learn more about Karen and her books, visit karenmcmanus.com, or follow @writerkmc on Twitter and Instagram.

Praise for Two Can Keep a Secret:

A BuzzFeed Best YA Book of the Year

"It s even better than what came before: more exciting, with richer characters and a stronger final-act twist. . . .  This is a murder-mystery, and a damn good one, the town of Echo Ridge steeped in an irresistible menace, the questions at the heart of the novel turning darker and deeper with each new revelation. That s what should rightly make this another smash best-seller."  EW

You won't be able to put [it] down. Cosmopolitan.com

"A must-read YA thriller if you love Riverdale and Sharp Objects." Bustle

"The mystery unfurls at a deliciously escalating pace, filled with believable red herrings and shocking twists. Readers will furiously turn pages until the satisfying end....with well-earned thrills and spooky atmosphere worth sinking into." Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"With complex characters and intricate plotting, McManus delivers a fast-paced, twisty whodunit." Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Tightly knit and well-placed plot elements, along with the development of Ellery and Malcolm s relationship, keep pages turning until the revelation of the murderer s identity and motivations, as well as some other secrets that turn out satisfyingly well." Bulletin

"McManus follows up her smash hit debut, One of Us Is Lying, with another twisted mystery...[that will have readers] speeding their way to the end." Booklist

More Praise for Karen McManus's One of Us Is Lying:

A New York Public Library's Best Book for Teens Selection A CBC Teen Choice Book Award Nominee
A Bustle Best Young Adult Book of May 2017
A Goodreads Best Young Adult Book of the Year Nominee
A YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction Book Nominee
A YALSA Quick Pick for