THE SECRET PLACE by Tana French. Viking, 2014. 464p. ISBN 978-0670026326 hc. $18.98.  Ages 14+  AFIC or Y.A.

I confess that I listened to this story in its CD book format instead of turning the pages.  Either way, the story features a Dublin detective, Moran, and a new partner, Conway, who end up working the same cold case - the murder of a 16 year-old boy that took place at a reputable girls boarding school the previous year.  A new clue has turned up and the detective duo head for the school to interview two groups of roommates who rank high on the suspicion scale.  Both groups have alpha females and very loyal friends, always watching out for each other.  As with any good mystery, the prime suspect changes often, keeping readers guessing who the killer is.  The author switches the storyline between present day and one year ago, letting the murder unfold in one chapter, and coming back to the present in the next chapter, as the detectives interview each girl in turn to sort out the truth.

THE SECRET PLACE, part of the Dublin Murder Squad series, is fifth in the series, but was easy to follow as a separate novel.  Since the story centers around the lives of teenagers, it would also be interesting for high school students, who may recognize some of their friends' mannerisms and speech patterns in these characters.  It seems that teens are similar whether they live in the U.S. or Ireland.  These girls are just a little scarier because of the secrets they hide.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI