Hysteria by Megan Miranda (review)

After a harrowing night that left Mallory’s violent boyfriend dead by her hand, Mallory is haunted by the idea that Brian’s spirit is still with her. His mother, however, is the real danger, as she has started stalking Mallory, so Mallory’s parents ship her off to Monroe, the boarding school her father attended. There she encounters Reid, the son of her father’s best friend, who’s known her forever and wants to start a relationship with her, despite Mallory’s concerns about her newly troubled life. Bigger problems are afoot, however, as the headmaster’s son, Jason, is working some sinister plot of his own involving a trio of popular girls who have taken an immediate dislike to Mallory. When Jason dies, the girls use Mallory’s past to frame her for his murder; fortunately, she has a loyal best friend, Colleen, who helps her figure out what’s going on and finally put the past behind her. Taut suspense and a mystery that has both psychological and sleuthing intrigue keep pages turning as Mallory tries to remember exactly what happened the night she killed Brian as well as the reasons she was attracted to him in the first place. While it’s a bit coincidental that two murdered guys turn up in her presence, there’s an underlying theme of girls getting rid of their abusers that gives the plot coherence, and the psychological-thriller genre requires a few extra dead bodies here and there anyway. Readers who like ghosts that turn out to be phantoms in the brain and who appreciate suspense tinged with danger and romance will enjoy this.