In the Ballroom with the Candlestick

October 1, 2021
After the accident that left two dead and Peacock badly injured, the exodus from Maine's Blackbrook Academy accelerates, but the Murder Crew isn't going anywhere. Peacock faces a long recovery; Orchid's wounds are just as deep but hidden. Mustard's roommate, Tanner, inexplicably distressed, has dropped sports and broken up with his girlfriend. Through months of chaos, Finn, who's kept his invention secret from Blackbrook, gets a nasty surprise when Dr. Brown turns up dead and her successor, Perry Winkle, demands Finn hand over his chemical formula. Finn's frustrated with Mustard, their romance having stalled due to the latter's internalized homophobia. Scarlett knows her SAT scores likely put Princeton out of reach, but buoyed by unparalleled executive functioning and relentless ambition, she aims to revive her prospects by turning Orchid's stash of Vaughn Green's songs (and their tragically truncated romance) into a social media sensation. All are shocked when a previously unknown individual arrives to claim the income generated from Vaughn's music and Scarlett's hard work. Ever the realist, Scarlett throws herself into prom planning. Mysteries satisfactorily revealed include how Mustard earned his nickname and why it matters and the full story of the Greens' entanglement with Curry Chem and Blackbrook. This affectionate homage to CLUE ends with a nod to the board-game-inspired 1985 film. Major characters--flawed, scheming, but (mostly) endearing--are presumed White, Indian American Scarlett and Mustard, named in previous titles as Latinx, excepted. Nostalgia-tinged but thoroughly contemporary, this social satire sparkles with wicked humor. (Mystery. 14-18)

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