Better Left Buried

Roach explores class differences and unbalanced power dynamics in this expertly paced debut thriller. Gay 16-year-old Lucille Preston knows almost nothing about her private investigator mother. So, when her mother is called by a mysterious Pierce Anselm, it’s the first time Lucy has ever seen her cool composure crack; the pair’s discovery of Pierce’s corpse at the base of a roller coaster shatters it. While uncovering her mother’s history with the Anselms—a wealthy family of amusement park tycoons—Lucy becomes entangled with teen Audrey Nelson, also gay, who was at the scene of the crime. As Audrey endeavors to clear her name of Pierce’s death and Lucy digs up more of her mother’s past, it soon becomes clear that the danger is far from over. Whether it’s revenge or a cover-up they’re after, the Anselms will stop at nothing to achieve it. Roach’s profound prose teems with strong depictions of character relationships—including an opposites-attract sapphic romance and multiple mother-daughter bonds—set against the moody backdrop of an abandoned amusement park. Lucy describes her mother’s skin as a “soft brown” while hers is “as pale as my dad’s”; Audrey reads as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jay Mandel, WME. (Aug.)