McManus, Karen. One of Us Is Back. Delacorte Press, 2023. 978-0-593-48501-9. 358 p. $19.99. Grades 9-12.

The final book in this ever popular series by McManus is here! In this book, the original Bayview Four has expanded to the Bayview Crew also known by others in the community as the Murder Squad. They are known to be better detectives than the local police department. Together they have been accused of crimes, have been the victims of crimes, and eventually they have been the ones to find the true culprit to the deadly games that have been played. A billboard lights up in town with the message “Time for a New Game” and immediately everyone is on high alert. In addition, one of the original characters from the first book is back and making everyone quite nervous. And then one of the four goes missing. It seems that someone is not quite done with the town of Bayview.

THOUGHTS: This is definitely geared for grades 9-12. The characters are getting older, and there seems to be more mature themes. The story line moves quickly and keeps the reader turning pages.

Mystery