Dana Mele crafts compelling young adult thrillers that delve into the complexities of adolescence. Her writing is characterized by a sharp, engaging style that avoids clichés, offering readers a fresh perspective on familiar themes. Mele explores the intricate dynamics of relationships and character psychology, often embedding her suspenseful plots within settings that mirror her characters' internal states. Her work is recognized for its ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats while providing thoughtful thematic depth.
When five estranged friends return to a summer lake house on the anniversary of their friend's death, unexplainable events begin happening, old betrayals rise to the surface, and the group suspects a killer among them is intent on revenge.
In a contemporary re-telling of Shakespeare's Hamlet, TRAGIC follows the 17 year-old Harper Hayes as she unravels the mystery and grief surrounding her father's death. After her father Hamilton Hayes dies a mysterious and tragic death, Harper Hayes is convinced that he was murdered and her first suspect is her uncle Clayton, who has been sleeping with her mother, Greta. With the help of her ex-girlfriend Talia and her best friend (sometimes with benefits) Holden, Harper is determined to find her father's killer. But when Caius, Talia's father and Hamilton's business partner, is found dead, Harper realizes the answer to Hamilton's murder is more complicated than she had initially realized. And when Harper starts seeing his ghost in the form of a teenage Hamlet everywhere and slipping into hallucinations of his murder that end with blood on her hands, one thing becomes clear--in order to uncover the truth about what happened to her father, Harper has to confront her own demons and ones that haunt the Hayes family.
Kay Donovan has reinvented herself as a star soccer player at her private school, surrounded by a group of glamorous friends. However, her life takes a dark turn when a girl's body is discovered in the lake, triggering a series of events that threaten to unravel her carefully crafted facade. The deceased has left behind a computer-coded scavenger hunt that implicates various suspects, ultimately placing Kay herself under suspicion in a murder investigation. As the pressure mounts and Kay finds herself cornered, she is determined to do whatever it takes to survive. At Bates Academy, the lines between truth and fabrication blur, leading to a chilling exploration of deceit and self-preservation. This debut novel by Dana Mele delivers a gripping, sophisticated suspense that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and spark ongoing discussions.