{"product_id":"kill-show-a-true-crime-novel-isbn-9780063321403","title":"Kill Show: A True Crime Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e“Riveting, original, and chillingly plausible, \u003ci\u003eKill Show\u003c\/i\u003e is both an urgent reckoning with the ethics of true crime and a tense mystery in its own right. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”—Flynn Berry, Edgar Award–winning author of \u003ci\u003eNorthern Spy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen sixteen-year-old Sara Parcell goes missing, it’s an utter tragedy—and an entertaining national obsession—in this thoughtful and addictively readable psychological thriller that offers a fresh and provocative take on whodunits and true crime.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSara Parcell disappeared without a trace on a crisp April morning in Frederick, Maryland. Her tragic story was a national obsession and the centerpiece of a controversial television docuseries that followed her disappearance in real time. But is it possible that everyone missed the biggest secret of all?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTen years after these events, the people who knew Sara best are finally ready to talk. In this genre-bending novel, Daniel Sweren-Becker fashions an oral history around the seemingly familiar crime of a teenage girl gone missing. Yet \u003ci\u003eKill Show\u003c\/i\u003e, a fast-paced thriller filled with diabolical twists and provocative social commentary, is no standard mystery. Through “interviews” with family members, neighbors, law enforcement, television executives, and a host of other compelling characters, Sweren-Becker constructs a riveting tale about one family’s tragedy—and Hollywood’s insatiable desire to exploit it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy revealing the seedy underbelly of the media frenzy and the true crime entertainment machine, \u003ci\u003eKill Show\u003c\/i\u003e probes literary territory beyond the bounds of the standard whodunit; it’s a thoughtful exploration into America’s obsession with the mysteries, cold cases, and violent tales we turn to for comfort. Groundbreaking, fast-moving, and informed, this is a novel about who’s really responsible for the tragedies we love to consume.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“A truly modern morality play, in a unique and compelling style, that reflects on the uncomfortable connections between greed, ambition, and violence. \u003cem\u003eKill Show\u003c\/em\u003e takes a sleepy, suburban town and turns it into a true-crime battlefield as events careen out of control. Smart, twisty, satisfying.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAndrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Gripping. . . . Sweren-Becker has crafted a clever, fast-paced, utterly absorbing tale that feeds into audiences' fascination with true crime even as it explores the complex ramifications.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"In this ambitious, genre-bending little miracle of a novel, Daniel Sweren-Becker muses on the complex machinations lurking behind the rise in popularity of the true-crime genre and its exploitation from television producers—an issue raising timely moral questions and dilemmas . . . . Sweren-Becker’s take on the subject provides an explanation for the phenomenon while at the same time crafting a riveting story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. It is a rare book, combining cultural criticism and genuine entertainment.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Big Thrill\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Riveting, original, and chillingly plausible, \u003cem\u003eKill Show\u003c\/em\u003e is both an urgent reckoning with the ethics of true crime and a tense, twisty mystery in its own right. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFlynn Berry, Edgar Award-Winning Author of Northern Spy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The story of a missing girl that doubles as a critique of the burgeoning multimedia industry around true crime, \u003cem\u003eKill Show’s\u003c\/em\u003e unexpected, genre-hopping premise is unlike any other thriller.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePaste Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A fun, clever twist on our obsession with true crime. I loved it.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Observer (London)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Sweren-Becker crafts a compelling, character-driven crime novel. This intricate story of exploitation and duplicity is both engrossing and disturbing.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Daniel Sweren-Becker’s \u003cem\u003eKill Show\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eis both an entertaining mystery and a bracing examination of how true crime has warped real-life investigations. It’s also a provocative reminder of how people behave differently, and often disastrously, when they’re in the spotlight.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSarah Lyall, The New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A riveting work of fiction that doubles as scathing social commentary about America’s true crime obsession.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"With a unique and compelling narrative style, \u003cem\u003eKill Show\u003c\/em\u003e is both a mystery and a reckoning of the 'siren song of true crime' that has us hooked like junkies craving our next fix. But at what cost? Absolutely unputdownable.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAmazon Best of the Month Pick\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Sweren-Becker succeeds in telling the story entirely through interviews, slowly revealing the truth about Sara’s disappearance. This is a fun, clever twist on our obsession with true crime. I loved it.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian (UK)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Gripping . . . . So smartly written you will be sucked in . . . . There are so many twists it will leave you gasping.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Montecito Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Sweren-Becker tackles America’s obsession with true crime in this searing whodunit . . . . Nothing is as it seems in this wily mystery, and Sweren-Becker delivers a double twist that will leave readers shocked. His sharp plotting and expert understanding of true crime tropes elevate the proceedings from clever gimmick to slam-dunk. The latest in a long line of contemporary thrillers interrogating the public fascination with private tragedy, this scorching indictment stands out.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eKill Show\u003c\/em\u003e's major plot mysteries are unguessable till the end and overshadowed by its conscientious characterisation. A lot of writers think they have something insightful to say about our toxic and exhilarating relationship with crime media. Sweren-Becker actually does.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eReviewing the Evidence\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A swift, twisty read. Sweren-Becker’s tight plot and expert tension building makes for a searing tale that raises questions about public obsession and intervention without being too on the nose.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSeattle Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890512621797,"sku":"NP9780063321403","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063321403.jpg?v=1730233460","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/kill-show-a-true-crime-novel-isbn-9780063321403","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}