This softcover was among the books donated to the local library for distribution to the Little Free Libraries. It's a thriller about a group of close friends who set out for a weekend at a cabin, only to wake to find two of their number stabbed to death - and with clear indications that the killer must be one of them... There are complications, including the loss of two other friends in a highway accident less than a year before, and icy relations with one of the group, Josh, due to some pretty cold remarks he made about the loss of those friends. Oh, and there's main character Mackenzie's attraction to Josh's brother Blake, the only member of the "cabin" party not already part of the friend-group - but does that make him a stronger suspect?

The setup's OK, and some of the scenes showing how teens can be torn by conflicting loyalties, having to weigh the actions of trusted friends, the power of youthful infatuation, the pressure of guilt... but overall, the story gets increasingly improbable as the revelations unfold, and by the final scenes I found myself detaching completely. There's a segment where the killer seems to have the near-supernatural ability of Michael Myers from the "Halloween" franchise to follow people around on the open street without being spotted, and there are other aspects that make it seem like a rather heavy-handed plot. Oh, and the ending really fell flat for me - not so much "drama" and "how tragic" but "you fool(s)!". But others may find it more entertaining!

Guidelines for safely visiting and stocking Little Free Libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the LFL site here.

I left this book on the book-swap shelf in the Tyngsboro MA post office lobby; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in MA here.]

*** Released for the 2021 Heads Shoulders Knees Toes challenge, for the embedded "ab" in the title. ***