• Age: 13 to 18
• Grade: 8 to 12

“A page-turner of a thriller with a smart, compelling heroine.” —Kirkus

“This novel is more than a murder mystery. It's about self-empowerment, acceptance, and the strength to be found in female friendships.” —School Library Journal

“A crafty, well-paced thriller. The novel’s finale is appropriately fiendish—and also unexpectedly uplifting.” —Publishers Weekly

Cat hasn’t been to Montgomery Falls, the town her family founded, since she was twelve years old. Since the summer she discovered she could do things that no normal twelve-year-old could do. Since she had her first kiss with Riley Fraser. Since she destroyed their friendship.

Now, five years later, she’s back and Riley has disappeared.

When Noah, Riley's brother, asks for help in discovering what happened, Cat is torn between wanting to learn the truth and protecting the secret that she’s been guarding ever since that summer she and Riley stopped speaking. Only one choice will put her in a killer’s sights…

This engrossing mystery with a hint of the supernatural is perfect for fans of The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas and Bone Gap by Laura Ruby.

Kathleen Peacock spent most of her teen years writing short stories—all of which contained much angst and none of which survived high school. After working as a graphic designer, unofficial technical writer, and publicist, she returned to school to pursue an undergraduate degree. She lives in New Brunswick, Canada—just a few hours from the border with Maine—and is the author of You Were Never Here and the Hemlock series. You can visit her at www.kathleenpeacock.com.

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"A page-turner of a thriller with a smart, compelling heroine." — Kirkus Reviews

"This novel is more than a murder mystery. It's about self-empowerment, acceptance, and the strength to be found in female friendships." — School Library Journal

“[A] crafty, well-paced thriller. The novel’s finale is appropriately fiendish—and also unexpectedly uplifting.” — Publishers Weekly

“Edge-of-your-seat material.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Magic on the page. A taut, dynamic plot...engrossing and smart.” — Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author

“Dangerous, tense, and a touch magical, Kathleen Peacock does not disappoint with her newest novel, YOU WERE NEVER HERE. It kept me turning pages late into the night, desperately trying to unravel the mysteries in Montgomery Falls.” — Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling author of My Plain Jane and Fallen Isles

“A tense, creepy thriller with an engrossing Twin Peaks-ian atmosphere that sucked me in from the first page and kept me hanging on every word. I couldn't put it down!” — Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten, #murdertrending, and Get Even

“Deftly plotted and beautifully written, with a main character you’ll fall in love with, this is a must-read for mystery fans of all ages.” — Tom Ryan, author of Keep This to Yourself