Blog Tour: The Bakersville Dozen by Kristina McBride

Book Blurb:

You have four days to locate five treasured trophies. Break the rules and you all die. Happy hunting!

Back in September, the town of Bakersville, Ohio made national news when a video went viral featuring thirteen of the high school’s elite in compromising positions. Now it’s May, and every month since the “Bakersville Dozen” made their infamous appearance on the national stage, one girl has gone missing. Officials are no closer to identifying the criminal.

Bailey “Like a Virgin” Holzman is getting really fed up with the scrutiny. She just wants to enjoy the rest of her senior year and have an epic summer before heading off to college. So when she discovers a note in her locker on the last day of school inviting her on a scavenger hunt, she thinks it’s just a sweet surprise from her boyfriend trying to cheer her up.

But following the clue leads her, instead, to the first official casualty. And another sinister envelope. The killer is close, and it could be anyone. Even the people Bailey’s always trusted most—her best friend, her perfect boyfriend, or the boy-next-door she’s always pined for.

With the clock ticking, she faces a terrifying choice: play the game by the killer’s rules—follow the clues, tell no one, and no cops—for a chance to save the rest of the missing girls, or risk becoming the next grisly victim.

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My Review:

4.5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Teen--

Bailey is just so glad that her senior year of high school is ending so she can escape the notoriety of being one of the Bakersville Dozen, the 12 girls singled out in a video discussing their sexual prowess which led to five of the girls going missing with no evidence pointing who took them. When Bailey finds a letter left in her locker leading her on a scavenger hunt, she follows the clue thinking it is a romantic gesture from her boyfriend. But Bailey finds something much worse, and another clue telling her where to go next. Bailey, her brother Tripp, best friend Hannah, and Wes who she has a complicated past with follow the clues but they have no idea what is waiting for them.

This is exactly how I love my mystery books- full of twists, tons of likely suspects, suspense and realistic character. I had read the synopsis for the book before I ever saw the cover image and I was intrigued by what I found. But then I saw they cover and I will admit to being a little off-put, thinking maybe the book was not what I was expecting because I am guilty of judging a book by it's cover. So fast-forward to a week or so ago when I picked up my ereader to read a chapter or so of the book before bed and without even realizing it, I found myself half way through the book and it was 2am (keep in mind I had to get up in a few hours for work- but it was totally worth it). This was such a fast engaging read, with enough character development to make me care and root for Bailey, as well as a fast paced plot that kept me going, a touch of sweet romance and feels, and last but not least some terrifyingly scary surprises. Honestly, I could not be happier with how this surprising mystery played out.

I loved how creepy everything was about the scavenger hunt, which I did not anticipate. Read this book in a well lit place with maybe some friends or a cuddly animal nearby, because it brought the tension and the horror. Be it the ambiguous notes left behind, the completely macabre scenes Bailey was sent to, to the increasing levels of paranoia where everyone is a possible suspect. I had like 5 serious suspects, but the author did such a good job of casting reasonable suspicion on EVERY character introduced. I honestly had no idea who Bailey should trust, which I thought was well done. I liked that the chapters were split into times, showing how little time passed between terrible events and it helped to keep up the fast pace of the plot. As a side note, this story is definitely for the older teen or adult reader due to the dark content of murder, death as well as the casual mentions of sex and sex acts thrown around.

There was honestly only one complaint I had with the book and that was the actual bad guy reveal. I don't want to give anything away and ruin the surprise of the mystery, so I will be terribly vague here. The guilty party was a huge surprise which I appreciated, but I was really confused as to the motive. I did not actually understand the motive (it was a little convoluted for my brain) as well as the reasoning for the escalation. I wanted to get more details or maybe interrogate the villain myself because I was left a little miffed as to fully understanding they why. The build up and the scavenger hunt were so well executed and suspenseful, I think maybe I just wanted the ending drawn out more than what it was. Keep in mind that everything wrapped up nicely and the story ended, I just think I just might be a little nit-picky.

This is the second book I have read by this author and it was even better than the first (which I really enjoyed) so I look forward to what else Kristina will write in the future. She has a way of creating great characters that I want to know more about and who feel so real, as well as relationship dynamics that keep me guessing. This is the perfect book for someone looking for an engaging mystery.

I received this title in return for my honest review.

Author Bio:

Kristina McBride has published three novels for young adults - THE TENSION OF OPPO-SITES, ONE MOMENT, and A MILLION TIMES GOODNIGHT. Her fourth novel, THE BAKERSVILLE DOZEN, will be released July 2017.

Kristina is a former high school English teacher and yearbook advisor, as well asan adjunct professor at Antioch University Midwest and Wright State University. Kristina has a thing for music, trees, purses, and chocolate. You might be surprised to learn that Kristina was al-most kidnapped when she was a child. She also bookstalks people on a regular basis. Kristina lives in Ohio with her husband and two young children. You can learn more at www.kristinamcbride.com

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