Grade 7 Up–A slice-of-preppie-life tale set on Manhattan's Upper East Side, with a dark twist. Kirsten and Samantha, 17, frequent the Party Room to meet friends and drink–until Sam leaves with a stranger and is murdered. Affluent teens with cell phones, fake IDs, popular classmates, boyfriends, and a penchant for lying are the foundations of this series title. Add to those elements parents in the background, predictable dialogue, and little character development. The strength of the book is in the cliff-hanger ending, which is bound to stir interest in the next book. Despite the lack of character exploration, and the sometimes stilted, if accurate, dialogue, readers will be drawn into the mystery. If you have teens who love mystery series, then you'll want to add this new offering.