From debut author Amy K. Green comes a devastating tale of psychological suspense: A teen pageant queen is found murdered in a small New England town and her sister's search for answers unearths more than she bargained for. Days after a young pageant queen named Jenny is found murdered, her small town grieves the loss alongside her picture-perfect parents. At first glance, Jenny's tragic death appears clear-cut for investigators. The most obvious suspect is one of her fans, an older man who may have gotten too close for comfort. But Jenny's half-sister, Virginia—the sarcastic black sheep of the family—isn't so sure of his guilt and takes matters into her own hands to find the killer. But for Jenny's case and Virginia's investigation, there's more to the story. Virginia, still living in town and haunted by her own troubled teenage years, suspects that a similar darkness lies beneath the sparkling veneer of Jenny's life. Alternating between Jenny's final days and Virginia's determined search for the truth, the sisters' dual narratives follow a harrowing trail of suspects, with surprising turns that race toward a shocking finale. Infused with dark humor and driven by two captivating young women, The Prized Girl tells a heartbreaking story of missed connections, a complicated family, and a town's disturbing secrets. Praise for The Prized Girl “So fun and gritty! Couldn't put it down, and then couldn't stop thinking about it once I finished.”— Georgia Hardstark, My Favorite Murder cohost and #1 New York Times bestselling author “A darkly funny thriller with a shocker ending.” — People “Expertly told in a crisp, fast-paced style . . . [with] stunning twists and a shocking surprise ending.” —Associated Press “This suspense novel, with its sharp turns, will have you guessing until the very last page.” — Star  “Told in alternating points of view between Virginia and Jenny, this is a story that readers will never see coming.” —The Parkersburg News and Sentinel  “This disturbing tour behind the scenes of a stolen childhood exposes cringe-inducing truths—and leads to a shocking conclusion.”— Kirkus Reviews “Its nicely twisting plot will hold readers’ interests.”— Booklist “At times funny, at times haunting, The Prized Girl is a raw, beautiful page-turner; the perfect whodunit for today's world. Green's compelling characters step off the page and into your heart.”— Bryan Reardon, New York Times bestselling author of Finding Jake and The Perfect Plan   “Gripping prose, complex characters, and dark family secrets propel this story about a murdered teen pageant queen to a perfectly unexpected finale. A stunning debut!”— Wendy Walker, author of The Night Before Amy K. Green was born and raised in a small New England town where she was once struck by lightning. She was a practicing CPA before leaving the corporate life to work in film production, write, and wear fewer high heels. She lives in Boston. Chapter One VIRGINIA Five Days After When my half sister, Jenny, was killed, it was all over the news-national news, not just the local paper that had to use an offensively large font to fill its pages. Strangers drove great distances to be part of the fanfare. Reporters and their vans lined the street in front of the church hosting her funeral. I parked my dented Jetta along the side of the road about a quarter mile away. There was no reserved parking space for me. St. Bernard's Cathedral was the only church aesthetically pleasing enough for my stepmother, Linda, to hold the funeral in. It was too large for the community; even Christmas Eve Mass couldn't fill more than half the pews. Not today, though. Today, the local police were turning people away. Men and women were milling around crying, consoling each other. No one was smiling, not even the polite forced smile you use to mask pain. Just hordes of people looking truly devastated by Jenny's death. I didn't recognize any of them, and I highly doubted they had ever set foot in this town before. A dopey uniformed officer named Brett stood at the base of the church stairs. We went to high school together. It was the type of town where no matter the age, it felt like we all went to high school together in some shape or form. He looked exhausted, and his buzz cut was useless to sponge up the beads of sweat multiplying across his forehead. He just let them grow until they dripped off and splashed onto his shirt. Brett was a bouncer without a list, making gut decisions about who he could let into the church. I was fourth in line, an actual line that I had to wait in patiently to attend my own sister's funeral. It was my choice. I didn't deserve special treatment. I was not a good sister. I watched Brett turn two people away before recognizing the couple in front of me and allowing them inside without hesitation. When I stepped up for my turn, he looked up carelessly, locked on my face, processed who I was, and straightened his spine.