When by Victoria Laurie (review)

Sixteen-year-old Maddie Fynn usually keeps quiet about her gift for predicting the day a person will die, but a well-intentioned warning to a woman about her son’s imminent death soon lands Maddie at the center of an FBI investigation when the child turns up viciously murdered. More death dates foretell the murder of local teens, but Maddie’s efforts to save them quickly make her a suspect and the center of a community witch-hunt. Maddie finds a reluctant ally in an openminded agent, but as they piece together clues to the killer’s identity they find that Maddie may be at the center of the case after all. Established adult mystery writer Laurie sticks to her strengths here, creating a taut, well-plotted thriller with a dash of the paranormal. The strong build-up, including a few twists, keeps the story moving, while the surprising resolution and final showdown will have readers on the edge of their seats. Though the storytelling is the main draw, Maddie adds her own charm as a determined young woman with too many responsibilities, both familiarly familial and uniquely supernatural. Descriptions of the murders are only mildly gory, so readers wary of horror can get their thrills without the blood and guts, and the novel packs in plenty of fast-paced, nail-biting fun, perfect for fans of Barnes’ The Naturals series (The Naturals, BCCB 12/13, etc.) or Winnacker’s Imposter (BCCB 10/13).