Like a Sister

December 1, 2021
When Desiree Pierce, the Black socialite and reality-star daughter of rap mogul Murder Mel Pierce, dies in an apparent heroin overdose, her half-sister, Lena, fights grief with a mission to satisfy her raging suspicions. Lena has distanced herself from her inattentive father, Mel, but has always been tight with Desiree. At least, until two years ago, when Desiree refused to address the substance-abuse issues that caused a devastating accident. Now, Desiree has been found dead just blocks away from Lena's house, and Lena senses she was coming to her for help. Lena knows that Desiree's "it girl" bestie, Erin, is hiding something, but decides to keep her close and leverage her ability to open elite doors. Dodging reporters, ineffectual detectives, and Mel's private security, Lena uncovers motives among Mel's former business partner, Desiree's celebrity-DJ ex-boyfriend, and an old friend lost to reality-show politics. Lena's relatable conflicts and her crafty, tenacious investigation will easily draw fans. A strong mystery that benefits from the tension between Desiree's glamour and Lena's cynical practicality.

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Starred review from January 10, 2022
Agatha winner Garrett (the Detective by Day series) delves into the vagaries of families, fame, and wealth in this insightful, briskly plotted novel. Columbia graduate student Lena Scott, who’s working on her master’s in nonprofit management, has been estranged for years from her younger half-sister, Desiree Pierce, a former reality TV star turned Instagram darling. When Desiree’s body is found in a Bronx playground the morning after her 25th birthday party, the authorities attribute her death to an overdose. Despite their differences, Lena, who knows Desiree was terrified of needles, begins her own investigation. In her search for answers, Lena gets back in touch with her famous hip-hop producer father (whose financial support she refused), forcing her to reevaluate her childhood and the choices she’s made. Lena regrets having been alienated from Desiree and is jealous of the friends who became Desiree’s substitute sisters. Garrett explores racism and sexism with aplomb, as shown by the sarcasm Lena displays when others underestimate her because she’s a young Black woman. This talented author has upped her game with this one. Agent: Michelle Richter, Fuse Literary.

February 1, 2022
When her estranged ex-reality-star younger sister turns up shoeless and dead of an overdose on a Bronx playground, Lena Scott has to prove to herself--and everyone else--that it was not an accident. Lena may be just 28, but she's as hard-boiled as a millennial gets. A loner, she hasn't had a relationship with her hip-hop-mogul father since she was 4; her mother and grandmother both died five years ago; and she hasn't seen her best friend, who's burying herself in a master's program in nonprofit management at Columbia, in a year. A fan of friends with benefits, she's "never been big on relationships." She doesn't even do social media except to keep tabs on her sister, Desiree, another exile from her life after Desiree's DUI two years ago. Since the police have zero interest in pursuing what Lena knows are suspicious circumstances around Desiree's demise, she hits the streets, uptown and down, by foot and bike, mass transit, and Uber, tracking down leads with baby sister's friends, flings, and--uncomfortably for her--family. If the first 60 pages have a few too many implausibilities (ubiquitous dashing reporters) and bad similes ("her eyes were as dry as my sex life") and the last 60 devolve into eye-glazing digital forensics ("I was about to close Safari when I noticed the GoFundMe site") and a rushed, too-pat end, everything in between crackles. The writing is sharp, the commentary wry, and Lena is irresistible: "I'd never wanted to see a cop more in my twenty-eight years of being Black." Come for the not-so-bad whodunit, stay for the whip-smart, heart-hurt, very entertaining heroine.

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Starred review from March 1, 2022

Two years ago, Lena Scott walked away from her half-sister, unable to deal with Desiree's wild, drug-fueled lifestyle. Lena had already distanced herself from the high-profile, lavish world that her hip-hop mogul father reveled in, and chose to live with her aunt in the Bronx. When she learns that Desiree has been found dead in a Bronx playground, Lena is convinced her sister was coming to see her. The cops quickly conclude that Desiree died of an overdose, but Lena doesn't believe that. She looks to connect with her sister's friends, including Erin, whose photos and posts were plastered all over Desiree's social feeds. Erin offers herself as guide to the Instagram-ready world Desiree lived in--foreign territory for Lena. As she unravels the events of her sister's last night, Lena struggles with knowing whom to trust; a mistake could cost her everything. VERDICT In addition to creating a satisfying, twisty mystery and eloquently depicting the complexity of family relationships, Garrett ("Detective by Day" series) explores racial identity, privilege, and discrimination as an organic part of the novel, with a deft, often funny touch. Here's hoping to see more of Lena.--Julie Ciccarelli

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2022

Desiree Scott, a Black reality star, is found dead on a Bronx playground just after her 25th birthday. Everyone, including the police, consider it an open-and-shut case, except for her sister Lena Scott. In an effort to find the truth behind her sister's untimely death, Lena embarks on a twisty, red-herring-filled search to suss out her sister's true cause of death, using her sister's various social media accounts to recreate her final days and find the killer. Garrett's ("Detective by Day" series) new novel is a suspense-filled psychological thriller. Garrett also uses the book to wrestle with racial and socioeconomic inequalities, deftly fleshing out the various factors at play in Desiree's death. VERDICT The narration by Bahni Turpin showcases her talent as she brings Garrett's characters to life, easily giving each their own personality that adds to the mystery and intrigue of the story.--Elyssa Everling

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.