I’m thrilled to welcome author Rachel Peterson to celebrate the release of her debut, Killing Sadie. This YA thriller unspools the truth behind a tragic murder through multiple unreliable narrators who all have secrets to keep—and Rachel is here today to share two truths and one lie from each of the characters in the book.
Two Twisty Truths and One Delicious Lie
by Rachel Peterson
Your favorite Killing Sadie characters are lying to you . . . the real question is, why?
You already know senior year is going to be legendary, at least in the world of Sadie Cooper and her besties. Another epic McClain barn party is happening tonight, and something sinister is brewing. But who cares? You have your best vintage denim fit and are ready to party flatout by the bonfire (while avoiding Mason, because his energy seems really off tonight). Of course, the mood shifts the moment Ben and Sadie walk in. It always does.
But what’s a party without a little fun and games? Our unreliable narrators from Killing Sadie, the twisty YA thriller where everyone is lying, are here to share two truths and a lie. Your role as partygoer? To figure out who is telling the truth, and why some lies are so much bigger than others.
Jayne Cooper | The Original
Normally, I wouldn’t be caught dead at a party like this. And I would never play such a ridiculous game. My best friend Evan and I invented our own game for exactly that reason—to avoid all of this juvenile nonsense. It’s not the sort of thing most people would understand, but that basically sums up everything about me and Evan. But hey, I can be a good sport . . . even after my sister’s murder. If this is the game we’re playing, then here you go.
One: I really hate that Evan had to skip the McClain party for yet another horse show. Sometimes that kid is too self-obsessed for his own good. Didn’t he know I needed him there?
Two: Sadie gave me the other half of her broken-heart bestie necklace first, no matter what Liz might try to tell you. Girl has always been crazy jealous of our twin bond. It’s almost enough to make me feel sorry for her.
Three: I know who really killed my twin sister.
Ben Carerra | The Golden Boy
Okay, okay. I know why you asked me to play this game—it’s because if I’m doing it, then all the guys will think it’s cool, right? I got you, bro. But I’m going to keep it clean because I don’t want to do anything that would be offensive to Sadie’s memory. People can be so sensitive about that stuff. Sadie definitely was, when she was alive. But that’s just how girls are sometimes. Where was I? Oh, right. Two truths and a lie.
One: I loved Sadie more than anything in the world. I would never do anything to hurt her . . . that’s why I had to do what I did to Mason. This was all his fault. He had to pay.
Two: Sadie had a perfect life planned out for us after high school. Same college, back to our hometown to take over the family business, house and white picket fence, all of it.
Three: I know who really killed my girlfriend.
Liz Stratton | The Bestie
Ugh, these type of games always get me into trouble! Or at least, they used to. I’m totally reformed now, even though no one seems to believe it. Sadie always loved my wild side, but sometimes I wonder if that’s just because I could help her get what she wanted for parties and stuff. Not that I blame her, that’s what friends are for! And she is—or was—always so generous with me. So I mean, I shouldn’t complain. Anyway, let’s do this.
One: No matter what Jayne says, I was way closer to Sadie than she ever was. Sadie gave me one half of her best friends necklace to prove it—even though Jayne through a tantrum about it and Sadie had to go get her another half too.
Two: Okay, so I’m not as reformed as I like to say that I am. And I’ve made some serious mistakes with the one guy who should be completely off-limits to me.
Three: I know who really killed my best friend.
Mason Vreeland | The Loner
You can’t be serious about this. But okay, fine.
One: Sadie was never even the twin I had a thing for. It was Jayne . . . always Jayne. Ever since we joined photography club together. But you can’t always get what you want, can you?
Two: I can’t wait to get the hell out of this town. It’s LA or bust for me, the second I graduate.
Three: I’m not the one who killed Sadie Cooper. But I still died because of her.
Sadie Cooper | Dead Girl Talking
Isn’t it funny how everyone is always so sure that they know exactly what’s going on in someone’s life? It almost doesn’t matter what you actually have to say, once someone has made up their mind about you. Everyone thinks they know me, the small-town golden girl. But they don’t actually know the first thing about who I am. And maybe I liked it better that way.
One: Mason wasn’t just some random stalker obsessed with me. We were actually in love, or something like it. I just never quite got around to breaking up with Ben like I promised I would.
Two: Jayne is truly my other half. Liz loves to call herself my bestie, but nothing can compare to the bond between twins. I wish Liz didn’t get so crazy possessive of me, but I’m kind of all she has.
Three: I know who killed me at Trevor McClain’s party, and I never saw it coming . . .
BTW . . .
Still Sadie here, and I think Act 3 will help you solve this mess, although I really hate that it has to be this way. I had my whole life figured out, and it was going to be perfect. Or at least, that’s what I believed.
While my story might be over, I have a feeling revenge might be the mood for summer.
About Killing Sadie
Release Date: August 4, 2026
Find it: Goodreads, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Amazon
Perfect for fans of How to Survive Your Murder and Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets, this young adult thriller unspools the truth behind a tragic murder through multiple unreliable narrators who all have secrets to keep.
Here’s what we do know: there was a party at Trevor’s house last night, and things went horribly wrong. By the end of the night, there were two dead bodies in an upstairs bedroom: seventeen-year-old Sadie Cooper and her killer, Mason McDonald. The murder was heartbreakingly witnessed by Sadie’s twin sister, Jayne, and Sadie died in her arms. Mason was killed by Sadie’s boyfriend, Ben, in an attempt to save Sadie.
Aside from figuring out Mason’s motive, it should be an open and shut case.
But it’s not.
The story unfolds just after the murders, and Jayne, Ben, and Sadie’s best friend, Liz, are telling the cops what transpired at the party and the events leading up to it. But little details don’t match. And those little details start to add up to big discrepancies. But who’s lying, and why?
The shocking truth is revealed in the third act, when the POV shifts to victim Sadie herself, in the days leading up to the party. Witness exactly what happened—and see if you can piece it all together. Because poor Sadie totally missed what was right in front of her.
About Rachel Peterson
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | INSTAGRAM | THREADS
Rachel Peterson graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a degree in English and creative writing. Born and raised in Ohio, she started her career in advertising before spending nearly a decade in New York City as a marketing executive for technology companies. An avid traveler, Rachel now splits her time between Manhattan and the Midwest, where she lives with her husband, Ken; their dog, Olive; and horse, Hope.
