The Amateurs - by Sara Shepard (Paperback)

About the Book

Four teens who meet on an online cold-case solving forum attempt to solve another teen's murder in the first title of a new series by the #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars series.

Book Synopsis

Five years ago, high school senior Helena Kelly disappeared from her backyard in Dexby, Connecticut, never to be heard from again. Her family was left without any answers -- without any idea who killed Helena, or why.

So when eighteen-year-old Seneca Frazier sees a desperate post on the Case Not Closed message board, she knows it's time to change that. Helena's high-profile disappearance is the one that originally got Seneca addicted to true crime. It's the reason she's a member of the site in the first place.

Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, she agrees to spend spring break in Connecticut working on the case with Maddy Wright, her friend from Case Not Closed. However, the moment she steps off the train, things start to go wrong. Maddy's nothing like she expected, and Helena's sister, Aerin, doesn't seem to want any help after all. Plus, Seneca has a secret of her own, one that could derail the investigation if she's not careful.

Alongside Brett, another super-user from the site, they slowly begin to unravel the secrets Helena kept in the weeks before her disappearance. But the killer is watching . . . and determined to make sure the case stays cold.

#1 New York Times best-selling author Sara Shepard is back with The Amateurs, first in a gripping new series packed with scandalous twists, shocking betrayals, and sizzling romance.

"Shepard . . . unravels the truth, the author lulls readers into a false sense of security before expertly pulling the rug out from underneath them. This is a delicious start to the Amateurs series." -Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A twisty and ultimately satisfying romantic whodunit." -Kirkus Reviews
"[L]ikely to reach best-seller status." -Booklist

"A delicious and suspenseful page-turner. I want more!" -I. Marlene King, Executive Producer, Pretty Little Liars
"Chilling and romantic and full of surprises." -Cecily von Ziegesar, New York Times best-selling author of the Gossip Girl series
"Long live the queen of secrets! The Amateurs is a dark and twisty thriller which might just fill the Pretty Little Liars shaped hole in my heart!" -Danielle Paige, New York Times best-selling author of Dorothy Must Die

"Deceitful and delicious!" -- Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times best-selling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures and author of The Lovely Reckless

"It's clear that Sara Shepard is no amateur; her devious and thrilling twists will leave you frantically turning pages until the very last moment." -- Kass Morgan, New York Times best-selling author of The 100 series

Review Quotes

* "Shepard creates robust characters with their own motives for getting involved with the investigation; as she unravels the truth, the author lulls readers into a false sense of security before expertly pulling the rug out from underneath them. This is a delicious start to the Amateurs series."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The Amateurs is a clever, well-structured mystery about a group of unlikely young detectives who come together to solve a cold case. In the end, The Amateurs is as much about the value of true friends and learning to accept your own demons as it is about discovering who really committed the crime."--Kimberly McCreight, New York Times best-selling author of Reconstructing Amelia and The Outliers

"The Amateurs is Nancy Drew for the digital age, with all the fast-paced action, humor, and romance that Sara Shepard does so well. The final twist will leave readers breathlessly awaiting the next book!"--Katharine McGee, New York Times best-selling author of The Thousandth Floor

"The Amateurs is Sara Shepard at her best-chilling and romantic and full of surprises. A classic whodunit with a contemporary edge. The ending will leave you with your hair standing up, begging for more."--Cecily von Ziegesar, New York Times best-selling author of the Gossip Girl series

"The Amateurs makes me want to go on an adventure with Sara Shepard. She has a knack for sizing up situations, people, and finding mystery in everyday life. She just plain gets it, page after page."--Caroline Kepnes, author of You

"A delicious and suspenseful page-turner. I want more!"
--I. Marlene King, Executive Producer, Pretty Little Liars

"A twisty and ultimately satisfying romantic whodunit." --Kirkus Reviews

"Deceitful and delicious! Sara Shepard remains the queen of high-stakes, high-octane, compulsively readable suspense. Prepare to stay up all night!"--Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times best-selling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures and author of The Lovely Reckless

"IT's clear that Sara Shepard is no amateur; her devious and thrilling twists will leave you frantically turning pages until the very last moment."--Kass Morgan, New York Times best-selling author of The 100 series

"Long live the queen of secrets! The Amateurs is a dark and twisty thriller which might just fill the Pretty Little Liars shaped hole in my heart!"--Danielle Paige, New York Times best-selling author of Dorothy Must Die

"Shepard's fans ready for a new sleuthing series will enjoy this first installment and look forward to the next case."--VOYA

"Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series was a smash hit, so this is likely to reach best-seller status."--Booklist

"You'll think you know, but you won't know."--Kate Brian, author of the New York Times best-selling Private and Privilege series

About the Author

Sara Shepard is the author of the Amateurs trilogy, as well as the New York Times bestselling series, Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game. Her duology The Perfectionists is now a TV show on Freeform. She graduated from NYU and has an MFA from Brooklyn College. Visit her online at @sarabooks on Twitter and Snapchat, and @saracshepard on Instagram.