Caroline Cooney is known for her suspenseful stories, and If the Witness Lied is one of her best. The four Fountain children have been scattered as their family disintegrates. First, Mother dies of cancer, then Father is killed in what looks like a pointless accident. Could baby Tris really have pulled the brake on the car, causing the fatal crash? With Maddy and Smithy at separate schools, it's up to young Jack to try to put things together. Why does Aunt Cheryl want to expose young Tris to the publicity of a reality show? Why are the bills piling up? Jack tries to get his grandparents to do something, but in the end, the older children have to work together to expose the monster in the family. a heart-wrenching thriller that will have readers rooting for the family that learns how to come together to survive.
Children & YA
Wednesday, 15 September 2021
Naomi Hirahara’s powerful new book, Clark and Division, follows the Ito family in 1944.
Thursday, 18 October 2018
"For me, the books I read were the call—the call to adventure, to thinking, to acknowledging other points of view. But to complete the ritual, I needed to respond."
Saturday, 16 June 2018
I am surrounded by books. Every room, every space in my large, sprawling 1750s house is full of books...
Monday, 30 April 2018
Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions, and as writers impact our words and stories. Mine most definitely has: my father was a small-time gangster. Really.
Thursday, 12 April 2018
"My ah-ha moment came when I read The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.... That was it for me – I was off to the races."
Sunday, 01 April 2018
Nietzsche once wrote, “There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”
Thursday, 15 February 2018
"Mystery books were daring and exciting, firing up my imagination and making me yearn to become a girl detective or even a secret agent. They also empowered me to make up impromptu ghost stories around the campfire for my Girl Scout troop and sneak into the cemetery at night on a dare."
Thursday, 27 July 2017
Fire and Ashes, the latest Angela Richman Death Investigator mystery, is an exploration of a fatal fire. To research this novel, Viets delved into the devastating consequences of junk science and arson investigations.
