The Darkest Lie by Pintip Dunn is an engrossing young adult mystery about a teenager’s search for answers about her mother’s apparent suicide.

Six months ago, Cecelia “CeCe” Brooks’ mother, Tabitha, committed suicide following rumors she was sleeping with popular football player Tommy Farrow. Following a short investigation that did little to prove or dispel the allegations, the case is closed as far as the police and CeCe are concerned. With her senior year in front of her, she wants nothing more than fly under the radar and avoid the attention of her fellow classmates. During the first day of school, CeCe catches the eye of new student Sam Davidson when he steps in to help another student who is being bullied by resident mean girl, Mackenzie Myers.

Needing extra credit to pass one of her classes, CeCe ends up volunteering at the crisis center where her mother also worked. When she learns Sam is researching her mother’s suicide for a newspaper article, she reluctantly agrees to work with him and she begins digging into her mom’s cases at the crisis center. After CeCe begins getting threatening phone calls and texts, she is unsure who to trust but she is also unwilling to stop her investigation once she and Sam begin to uncover the horrifying truth.

Lost, confused and certain she did not know her mother at all, CeCe has withdrawn from her friends and keeps to herself. Never really close to her dad, their relationship is incredibly strained due to his intense grief over Tabitha’s death. Angry and hurting, CeCe remains torn about whether or not she truly believes the allegations against her mother. Despite her reservations about her mom’s guilt or innocence, once CeCe decides she wants to know the truth, she keeps looking for answers although she is a little scared of what she will discover. She does not always trust her own judgment and fear clouds her thinking, but once she realizes what is at stake, CeCe finds the courage she needs to continue her investigation.

Although there is NOT a love triangle in the book, CeCe is drawn to two different boys. Newcomer Sam is a little goofy and offbeat but he is a genuine, nice guy with some very adorable quirks. Liam Kessler works at the crisis center and he is incredibly charming and charismatic with a tragic past that CeCe can definitely relate to. With two completely different guys to choose between, who will capture CeCe’s heart?

The mystery surrounding Tabitha’s death is well written although the storyline is a little predictable. Pintip Dunn keeps readers off balance with plenty of red herrings, misdirects and a plausible list of suspects. With a few unexpected twists and turns, a handful of shocking discoveries and a stunning plot twist late in the story, The Darkest Lie comes to a dramatic conclusion that is a little clichéd but satisfying.

This fast-paced young adult mystery touches on some very relevant social issues but some of the subject matter might not be appropriate for younger readers. ( )

This novel was quite the page turner. The mystery had me so intrigued and guessing up until the very end. The plot was very well paced, which made The Darkest Lie incredibly difficult to set down. You won't regret picking this one up.

The characters were all fleshed out pretty well. They felt more than just surface level faces and the author did a great job conveying emotion through showing instead of just telling. I think grief is portrayed particularly well in this book as it showed all of the emotions that are felt after a sudden loss like a suicide. The whole spectrum of feelings that come with loss were sprinkled throughout the book, with different characters at different stages, angry at each other for not understanding.

The love triangle kind of fell flat, but it wasn't super over the top, so I guess that's alright. Although I did find myself rooting for the other guy instead. I didn't feel as much of a connection with the guy she wound up with. Rather I felt as if they made good friends and investigative partners, but not a love interest.

I felt as though the spirit of a teenager was captured well in this novel. A bit insecure, a little self-absorbed and sometimes making a fool out of themselves. Although I do feel as if nude pictures were made out to be a heinous thing to take, regardless of the circumstances, which seemed a bit over the top to me. I'm not condoning child pornography in any way, I'm just saying it felt a bit extreme for a teenager perspective of today's time.

I would definitely suggest this book to anyone who enjoys young adult, romance or mystery novels. ( )