Madison Dupont was murdered at the Hundredth Anniversary Gala celebrating Prescott Prep's beginnings. Everyone who attended the lavish school fundraiser watched in horror as she dropped her martini glass and sank to the floor, and no one was leaving until interrogated by the police. It was going to be a long, dismal night. And like in a famous Agatha Christie novel, there were many people who had their reasons for wanting her dead.
Flashback to ten years earlier. Hannah Miller began her senior year of high school at the most prestigious prep school in New York. Her family moved to the city from Pennsylvania and her dream was to attend UPenn upon graduation. Prescott gave Hannah a scholarship to attend their school her final year, and she was excited and very anxious to begin. Figuring that the best thing she could do would be to excel at her studies and keep drama to a minimum, she was flummoxed on her first day to be taken under the wing of beautiful Madison Dupont, meanest of the mean girls. Madison introduced her to the school hierarchy, and though not completely accepted by the upper crust, Hannah was somewhat included in their social scene. She knew they were using her but she really enjoyed being included in a lifestyle that she never dreamed of being a part.
Ten years later, Hannah was a journalist who mined her Prescott experience for a hit piece on her fellow students. In the eyes of the police, that made her the prime suspect and it seemed that all of the other guests who were questioned that night agreed. If she didn't want to leave the exclusive restaurant in handcuffs, she had better find out who murdered Madison and why.
Waldorf wrote a fascinating story about New York's one percent and the problems that their money creates. This mystery was a real deep dive into children of the rich and famous. The privilege, the cruelty, and the competitiveness of these students is eye opening and is just as jarring as the actual murder. Will bad behavior triumph over good detective work? Hope for the best, expect the worst.
Reviewed by Donna Ballard
September 8, 2026
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