S. R. Masters is originally from the West Midlands in the UK. His debut novel is a coming-of-age murder mystery, The Killer You Know, about a group of childhood friends returning home for a reunion only to discover the friend that joked about being a serial killer when he grew up might actually have become one.At CrimeReads Masters tagged seven thrillers that capture some of the darker aspects of tight-knit friendship groups. One title on the list:
Dare Me, by Megan AbbottRead about another entry on the list.
While you can choose your friends, that choice can often be limited by your situation—especially when you are young. Dare Me is a haunting and immersive tale about a very particular group of friends: a high school cheerleading squad. Tense and tight and driven by character, this book follows one squad’s finely balanced dynamic being thrown by the arrival of a new coach. It bottles the intense seriousness and claustrophobia of being young perfectly.
Dare Me is among Jessica Knoll's top ten thrillers, Brian Boone's fifty most essential high school stories, Julie Buntin's twelve books that totally get female friendship, L.S. Hilton's top ten female-fronted thrillers, Megan Reynolds's top ten books you must read if you loved Gone Girl, Anna Fitzpatrick's four top horror stories set in the real universe of girlhood and Adam Sternbergh's six notable crime novels that double as great literature.
--Marshal Zeringue
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