I Killed Zoe Spanos

For fans of Sadie and Serial, this gripping thriller follows two teens whose lives become inextricably linked when one confesses to murder and the other becomes determined to uncover the real truth no matter the cost.

“The YA thriller of the summer.”—Bustle

♦ Barnes & Noble YA Book Club Pick July 2020

♦ A People magazine Best Books Summer 2020 selection

♦ A Parade magazine Best Summer Books 2020 selection

♦ An ITW 2021 Thriller Award finalist for Best Young Adult Novel

♦ A 2021 Carolyn W. Field honor book (PaLA)

♦ A 2021 Kansas NEA Reading Circle List Top Pick High School Title

♦ A Popsugar Top 25 Best YA Murder Mysteries of All Time selection

♦ A Buzzfeed, United by Pop, and Suspense Magazine Best YA Book of 2020

♦ A YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults 2021 selection

♦ An Amazon Teacher’s Pick and Amazon Best Books of July 2020 Editor’s Pick

♦ A BookPage Most Anticipated YA Book of Summer 2020

♦ A School Library Journal Summer Series 2020 Best Reads Selection

♦ BCCB Starred Review

SIMON & SCHUSTER/MARGARET K. MCELDERRY BOOKS
JUNE 30, 2020

First print hardcover edition includes blue sprayed edges!

AUDIO BOOK

Simon & Schuster Audio / listen on Audible

INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS

UK, Australia, and New Zealand: Simon & Schuster UK (out now)

Russia: Arkadia (as Two Faces of Death) (out now)

France: Bayard (out now)

Italy: Giunti (out now)

Poland: HarperCollins Poland (forthcoming)

Purchase

About

What happened to Zoe won’t stay buried…

When Anna Cicconi arrives to the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills for a summer nanny gig, she has high hopes for a fresh start. What she finds instead is a community on edge after the disappearance of Zoe Spanos, a local girl who has been missing since New Year’s Eve. Anna bears an eerie resemblance to Zoe, and her mere presence in town stirs up still-raw feelings about the unsolved case. As Anna delves deeper into the mystery, stepping further and further into Zoe’s life, she becomes increasingly convinced that she and Zoe are connected—and that she knows what happened to her.

Two months later, Zoe’s body is found in a nearby lake, and Anna is charged with manslaughter. But Anna’s confession is riddled with holes, and Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn’t satisfied. Did Anna really kill Zoe? And if not, can Martina’s podcast uncover the truth?

Inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Kit Frick weaves a thrilling story of psychological suspense that twists and turns until the final page.

A shivery delight.
— People magazine (Best Books Summer 2020)
You’ll be engaged until the very last twist.
— Parade magazine (Best Summer Books 2020)
This atmospheric and delicious contemporary gothic tale … captures the compulsive listenability of a true-crime podcast.
— BCCB (STARRED REVIEW)
With an addictive voice, expert storytelling, and a twist even I didn’t see coming, I Killed Zoe Spanos is one killer thriller! Read. It. Now.
— Gretchen McNeil, author of TEN, GET EVEN, and #MURDERTRENDING
An atmospheric and creepy page-turner.
— Kirkus Reviews
An addictive sea-side thriller, I Killed Zoe Spanos is a tour de force! I have paper cuts all over my hands from turning these pages so fast.
— Derek Milman, author of SCREAM ALL NIGHT and SWIPE RIGHT FOR MURDER
Perfect for readers who loved Sadie, listeners of the Serial podcast, or anyone who enjoys a good twisty suspense novel. Teen recommended.
— The Amazon Book Review (Editor's Picks)
This well-crafted psychological thriller, set in a beach town in the Hamptons, is the perfect summer read.
— The Buffalo News
Haunting and simply unputdownable, I Killed Zoe Spanos is complex, nuanced, and full of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. This is a story that will stay with you long after you’ve finished.
— Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of THE WAY I USED TO BE, THE LAST TO LET GO, and SOMETHING LIKE GRAVITY
Full of lies, manipulation, half-truths, secrets, twists, and SO MUCH tension, this mystery will easily rope in readers as we, along with all of the characters, try to figure out just who killed Zoe Spanos.
— SLJ Teen Librarian Toolbox
Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca heads to the Hamptons in this gloriously twisty, unreliably narrated thriller about a girl named Anna whose confusing memories lead her to confess to a murder it’s becoming increasingly clear she did not commit.
— Buzzfeed
I Killed Zoe Spanos is a dizzying, kaleidoscopic fever-dream of a novel. From its ‘did I read that right?’ opening pages, right through to an ending I truly didn’t see coming, this fantastic thriller left me breathless.
— Tom Ryan, author of KEEP THIS TO YOURSELF
The intoxicating and engrossing story of a girl arrested for murder and the podcast host determined to exonerate her … unfolds against the delicious backdrop of the divide between the haves and the have-nots in a small town in the Hamptons.
— BookPage
An intriguing exploration into the nature of truth and reality.
— Publisher's Weekly
I Killed Zoe Spanos is a stand-out YA thriller of 2020, with a dark and entrancing tone that will keep you hooked until that explosive final reveal.
— The Nerd Daily
Frick has spun an exquisite mystery with I Killed Zoe Spanos. It’s a thriller that truly keeps you guessing, no matter how certain you are that you know the truth.
— Paperback Paris
Perfect for fans of Sadie, I Killed Zoe Spanos is a clever and engrossing YA mystery/thriller that will keep readers guessing to the end.
— YA Books Central
A gripping … and tightly wound exploration of the price of secrets.
— ALA Booklist
Strong heroines and an intriguing flip of whodunnit tropes will keep readers engaged to the surprising resolution.
— School Library Journal

Praise

fun stuff + extras

I Killed Zoe Spanos discussion guide (for book clubs and student groups)

The Rise of the True Crime Podcast Novel (guest post for Crime Reads)

What All Those Dead Girls Say About Us (guest post for Book Riot)

10 Lesser-Buzzed True Crime Podcasts to Listen to While Social Distancing (guest post for Frolic)

Cover reveal + excerpt on Bustle

Exclusive excerpt reveal (first podcast transcript!) on Hypable

First edition hardcover with blue sprayed edges

Ebook

Full-cast audiobook

Russian edition