ARC Review: Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield

Hanging by a Thread
Author: Sophie Littlefield
Publication: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (September 11, 2012)

Description: The quaint little beach town of Winston, California, may be full of wholesome townsfolk, picturesque beaches, and laid back charm, but Clare Knight is about to uncover something underneath its thriving demeanor. Someone is hiding something, and it's as gruesome as the townsfolk, and their stately homes, are stunning. Amanda Stavros, fellow classmate and resident of Winston, is gone and there's no sign of her ever coming back. Everyone says she was taken and murdered, but where's the evidence? Why isn't there a single ounce of proof? And why is everyone okay with this, except for Clare? 

Luckily—or as it's been turning out, unluckily—Clare possesses a gift, an ability to see visions from the clothes she works with. And since her clothes come solely from the townsfolk, Clare has become privy to some startling and disturbing memories of these townspeople. Will she uncover who killed Amanda Stavros? Or is she just moving herself up in line to be the next victim of Winston?

My Thoughts: HANGING BY A THREAD is a murder mystery with a paranormal twist. In the summer before her junior year in high school, Clare Knight and her mother move back to the small California town where she lived the first ten years of her life. The same small town that has seen the death of a promising 10-year-old athlete and one year later the death of a star cheerleader. The anniversary of both those deaths is coming up and everyone is worried that there will be another death.

Clare is a fun, quirky character who is determined to be a fashion designer which brings her into conflict with her accountant mother. She and her childhood friend Rachel have started a summer business where Clare shops flea markets and other locals to find vintage clothing which she embellishes and redesigns and Rachel handles the marketing. Clare has inherited an unusual psychic gift from a great-great-grandmother. When she touches some fabric she can see into the life of the previous owner. 

A flea market find of a battered designer jacket gets Clare intimately involved in the death of the star cheerleader Amber. She begins to investigate and finds that her best friend Rachel has been keeping secrets from her. While they had kept in touch while Clare was away, there are big parts of Rachel's life that Clare doesn't know about. What she is seeing now is a volatile, party girl. Then Clare meets Jack who is a bit of an outsider with some anger issues. He was also Amber's last boyfriend before her disappearance. Rachel is discouraging the relationship but Clare is fascinated by the boy.

This was an entertaining mystery and romance. Fans of either genre will enjoy this story. Mystery lovers will enjoy the sense of creeping menace and the twists and turns as Clare investigates the death and disappearance. Romance lovers will fall in love with bad boy Jack.

Favorite Quote:

Kissing Jack was nothing like kissing any other boy I'd ever known. He put a hand against my neck, and his fingers were rough and warm, sending little earthquakes through my skin as they traced my ear and wound through my hair. His lips brushed against mine lightly at first, his lips barely parted. I heard myself make a sound, a faint moan, and Jack kissed me harder.

I received this eARC from Random House via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. You can buy your copy here.