Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool. 

But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

(Synopsis provided by GoodReads)


My absolute favorite books to read are ones with great mystery. Mystery novels is one of my favorite genres because I love solving them and creating theories. I experienced an enjoyable Agatha Christie faze last year. (Where I was able to correctly guess some murders!) I find that the best murder mysteries contain confusing clues, logical solutions, relatable characters and plenty of twists. Deadly contained all that.

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday creates on of the best high school set mysteries I ever read. I was completely surprised about the killer's identity. I love being completely surprised about who the killer turned out to be.

Hartley, the main character, has a sly humor to match my favorite poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. Her reacts to the horrible events that occur are hilarious. She is easy to relate and has an authentic teenage voice. She is a strong lead. When her boyfriend cheats on her, she doesn't take him back. When she is in danger, she doesn't freak out, she tries to find out a way of the problem. Hartley is not perfect. Thankfully her flaws are understandable; she makes mistakes and misjudges other characters.

Her best friend Sam is a true best friend who helps Hartley all the way. Her reactions to the events in Hartley's life are priceless and she always gives supportive advice. I can easily see that Sam is a separate character with her own personality.

I love how Hartley and Sam share all the secrets they find out to each other. I am so tired of main characters who keep secrets from their best friend. This book doesn't not contain that pet peeve of mine!
I also love how Hartley and her romantic interest, Chase Erickson, didn't fall in love in this book or even start dating in this book. This book showed how they grew to become good mystery solving partners and get a chance to meet each other.

This book was well written an fun to read. I love reading all the freights that Hartley had to go through to survive. Her creative way to escape from her house was an interesting scene. Also, the scene where she is hiding from Chase is hilarious. This is a perfect book to read when you want to relax and dive into a well-writen and surprising mystery.

In all, I found this book delightful and hope to read Social Suicide soon.

4 Stars