By Julia Collins
Karen M. McManus has written some incredible books, and Nothing More to Tell (2022) has a mystery, family drama, romance, and of course, a dead teacher.
English teacher William Larkin was murdered when Brynn and Tripp were in eighth grade. Brynn’s family moved away until her senior year, when Brynn came back to the town of Sturgis to solve the mystery of her teacher’s death. She works as an intern for the true crime show Motive while she attends school at St. Ambrose; the K-12 private school where Mr. Larkin was killed. As the anniversary of Mr. Larkin’s death is approaching, the school plans to design a memorial garden, and during their time picking out flowers, Brynn is partnered with Tripp.
Tripp was one of the three students who found William Larkin’s body. He remembers the interviews with the police where he tried to protect one of the other witnesses, Shane, because Shane had touched the murder weapon (a rock). Now in senior year, Tripp and Shane are good friends. Tripp’s boss tells him that he should help with setting up Mr. Larkin’s memorial garden so he can recover from the trauma of being at the crime scene, which he does reluctantly.
As the story goes on, Brynn and Tripp visit a gardener, Mr. Solomon, who gives them advice on how to set up the memorial. When they find him dead, they realize that there’s something bigger going on.
Murder investigations are tough. After being ostracized, assaulted, and held at gunpoint, Brynn is desperate to find out who killed Mr. Larkin. And with Tripp’s help, she does. After calling Mr. Larkin’s old boss, they discover that he was not on good terms with his family. Brynn finds his father, Dexter, who was unaware of his son’s death. Furious, he comes to find Brynn and Tripp at a school dance, where they finally figure out who the killer is, and it’s not who you would expect. This book was complex and intriguing. I would rate it an 8/10, as some parts were predictable, like the plot of Brynn and Tripp developing a romantic relationship. But other parts, such as discovering the identity of the killer, were outstanding. Nothing More to Tell is a great book that I know Houghton readers would enjoy. ★