Prom Queen by Laura Wolfe
Bookouture
Available Now!
4/4.5 rounded up 5 stars

Going into this book, I expected the general idea of the plot to be similar to other books I've read before, a tragic event that happened in the past and the need to find answers in the present. Which to me isn't a bad thing at all because books like this are my favorite kinds to read! With that being said, there are moments and characters in the book that help with what makes this book stand out compared to others I've read. I enjoyed the different characters and the secrets they had, the ups and downs the main character had to go through to find out the truth and who to trust and not trust, and the dual timelines. Dual timelines are probably my favorite things about mystery and thriller books especially when going back and forth between the past and present is read effortlessly. So, as I was reading I thought this was easily 4/4.5 starts, but what made it 5 stars for me was the epilogue! Which was one of the things that definitely made the book stand out for me. I wasn’t expecting that at all and I wanted to know more! As for the big "whodunnit," I can't say I expected them, at least not at first, and I enjoyed the reasoning behind it. There was one other person I was really hoping it could be. I won't say who, but I think it might have of shifted the dynamic of the book a bit.
Thank you, Netgalley, Bookouture, and Laura Wolfe, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reviews are posted on my Instagram page (@bibliophiles_elite).

Small town mystery, a podcast, and a mysterious death that may have been murder after all? I was all in. Laura Wolfe’s story telling in the past and present is wonderful. I did take off one star for something I won’t share due to spoilers, but it just felt like the story went one way and then wildly off the tracks. Some people may love the final twist, but it fell flat for me.

That said, I loved the rest of the book and think it’s a great spooky season read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this digital arc. My opinions are my own.

Thank you for the copy of this book. I’m trying to explore new genre of books and this didn’t disappoint! I really enjoyed this!

I have mixed feelings on this newly released novel. At the beginning, I was hooked. I was intrigued and enticed to continue reading… Any intriguing murder with no answers, I am totally for it.

However, my confusion arised with the back and forth storyline. I was unable to keep track of what was happening in the two timelines as we flipped between past and present. I don’t necessarily have an issue with the two storylines, sometimes it is actually preferred in my opinion, but this one didn’t work for me. When I was able to catch up with what was going on I did enjoy both of the storylines individually.

Special thank you to Netgalley & Bookouture for providing me an Advanced Readers Copy

Just as I start any ARC review, I want to begin this one with thanks to NetGalley - as well as the publisher and author (in this case, Bookouture and Laura Wolfe), for the opportunity to read ‘Prom Queen’ before it was released to the world earlier this week.

This book contains every element of a terrific thriller, and not only was I hooked on all of the happenings of the story, I was well and truly taken aback by what was revealed at the end.

I won’t share any spoilers, because that’s not what I do… but I have to write plenty of praise, because wow - what a twist!

As the title suggests, ‘Prom Queen’ centres around the shocking death of a young woman named Bailey, just a few hours after she was crowned prom queen. Set two decades later, the story follows her former best friend, Brooke, who has returned to the small town for the first time since that fateful night to take care of some family affairs.

Revisiting the scene and surrounds of the tragedy, Brooke discovers just how profoundly Bailey’s death and the mysteries behind it continue to haunt both herself and the community.

It’s a wonderful ‘whodunit’ sort of read that will have you analysing every bit of information from shared from every different character along the way.

I couldn’t have enjoyed it more - and I couldn’t recommend it more!

After reading the blurb for Prom Queen, I knew I needed to read it. Also, having experiencing the author's previous work The In Laws, I expected a twisted tale. She did not disappoint. Prom Queen delivered a nail-biting, twisted and page turning tale that will delight thriller/mystery fans.


This thrilling and page turning read is told in dual timelines, the past and the present. The past timeline gives readers insight into the tragedy which occurred twenty years ago. While the present stirs up painful memories and with it comes danger.

Brooke, the leading lady, returns to the town which held painful memories, to handle her mother's estate. While there, she encountered a true crime podcaster. Now she normally wouldn't give a stranger a second thought, but the sight of a familiar necklace around the stranger's neck gave her pause. The same necklace which mysteriously disappeared the night her best friend, Bailey, fell off a bridge into the path of a moving train. Then she learns the podcaster was in town seeking information about the twenty-year-old tragedy. Coincidence, I think not.

Told primarily from Brooke's POV, Prom Queen takes the reader on a thrilling journey. The deeper one goes into the story, the more questions arise. One thing is for certain, Bailey did not commit suicide 20 years ago and someone is determined to keep the truth hidden.

The past timeline highlights the angst and the drama that comes with being a teenager in high school. Jealousy, broken friendships, and bullying. The present focused on learning the truth behind the tragedy. This is one of those stories where everyone is a suspect, even the person narrating the story. I honestly had no clue who was behind Bailey's demise. The revelation shocked me, but what was even more shocking was the end. I am still trying to pick up my jaw from the floor. I am keeping my fingers cross, hoping for a follow-up story.

Overall, Prom Queen delivered a solid read and I recommend it to fans of suspenseful stories.

It’s been twenty years since Brooke’s best friend Bailey died the same night she was crowned prom queen. Her death was ruled a tragic accident by the police, but Brooke always believed she was murdered. Now she plans to prove it.

A small town. Long-buried secrets. Suspicion. Murder. Prom Queen has all the ingredients for the kind of suspenseful, twist-filled thriller that I love. And it didn’t disappoint. This was my first time reading a book by Laura Wolfe and I have another brilliant thriller author to add to my ever-growing list. She had me hooked from the chilling prologue to the shocking finale, keeping me guessing as I tried to figure out who the killer was. I was on the edge of my seat as I raced through the pages to find out the answer. And that ending! OMG. How could you do that to me?!

The reader knows from the prologue that Bailey has in fact been murdered but in the story no-one but the killer knows for sure that her death wasn’t a tragic accident. But there are many people who suspect, including podcast host Hannah. The story is narrated by Brooke in dual timelines, the flashbacks to twenty years describing events leading up to the night Bailey died. They tell a very familiar story of teenage angst, friendship and high-school drama while also holding an air of something much darker and there’s a sense of dread as the clock ticks down to Bailey’s murder. The small-town setting adds to this with its claustrophobic, unsettling vibes. Wolfe also creates an overwhelming feeling of distrust, and you have no idea who might be hiding a deadly secret, even making me question if Brooke was a reliable narrator a number of times. It really is a case of everyone being a suspect, and as I searched every page for clues I had some suspicions, but could never say with certainty who I thought it was. This heightened the tension and made it impossible to stop thinking about the book even when I wasn’t reading it.

Atmospheric, addictive and surprising, this jaw-dropping thriller is a must read for any thriller lover.

Prom Queen is the second book I've enjoyed by Wolfe and I anticipate reading more from her in the future.

It's reasonably paced, has some brilliant plot twists and comes complete with several unlikable characters. It's narrated in past and present timelines leading up to a mind blowing ending that I wasn't expecting.

I love listening to true crime podcasts, so a book with the same trope was right up my street and I fast became addicted to the story and couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

First I want to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and Laura Wolfe for my ARC of Prom Queen. Twenty years ago on the night of the senior prom Bailey Maddox was found dead by the train tracks missing her half of a friendship necklace that she never took off. It was thought to be a tragic accident by everyone but her best friend, Brooke Webber. Hours before Bailey’s death she was crowned prom queen. Could this have been the result of someone’s jealousy? The prologue starts with Bailey’s last moments. Just before she falls she feels a presence and then feels palms on her back. After Bailey’s murder Brooke takes off and promises to never return to Cove Haven. She ends up going back to oversee renovations to her childhood home. Nothing could prepare her for seeing a woman in a coffee shop wearing an identical necklace to the one that was missing from Bailey’s neck. Brooke becomes determined to find out what happened to her best friend that night twenty years ago and find out who killed her. This book kept me guessing the entire time. I could not put it down! Leaves you on the edge of your seat! It was my first book from Laura Wolfe but definitely won’t be my last!

3.5/5

Thank you netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

20 years ago, hours after being announced as Prom queen, Bailey kills herself. Everyone believes it’s suicide, except best friend Brooke, is not so convinced.

In the present day, Brooke returns to her home town following the death of her mother. She spots stranger Hannah, wearing Baileys necklace. The one that was never found with her body. Turns out Hannah also thinks Bailey death is suspicious and has come to the town to do a podcast on the case.

This was an easy read. I read it over a few evenings before bed to help me switch off and go to sleep. It’s a bit predictable, but if you’re looking for an easy thriller, then definitely check it out.

The last chapter was amazing and I would have loved elements of that to have been sprinkled throughout the rest of the story.

‘We were all there 20 years ago … only one of us killed her’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Prom Queen’ by Laura Wolfe.

Twenty years ago on the night of the senior prom Brooke Webber’s best friend, Bailey Maddox, was found dead by the train tracks. While it was ruled a tragic accident this never felt right to Brooke as only hours before her death Bailey had been crowned prom queen. Could someone’s jealousy have caused them to lash out?

As readers we know that she was murdered as the Prologue presents Bailey’s last moments. Just before she falls from the bridge she senses a presence behind her and “felt the pressure of the palms on her back.”

After this we shift to the present as Brooke reluctantly returns to Cove Haven, Michigan, to oversee renovations to her childhood home ahead of putting it on the market. Brooke is shocked to see a woman in a café wearing a locket identical to the half of the friendship locket that Bailey always wore. It was missing from her neck when her body was found.

Brooke introduces herself and discovers that the woman is Hannah Mead, who has come to town to work on the new season of her True Crime podcast, ‘All the Dark Corners’. It is titled: The Prom Queen of Cove Haven. No further details to avoid spoilers.

This proved a gripping psychological thriller with the story played out both ‘Now’ and ‘Then’. Like many protagonists in psychological thrillers, Brooke often behaves in ways that had me shouting at her.

Yet she’s quite self aware sharing: “I was like one of those dumb teenagers in horror movies who finds two of her friends murdered in the living room and decides to check on a strange noise in the basement.” Yes, Brooke you are - yet you still take daft risks.

Overall, I found ‘Prom Queen’ a deliciously twisty read that had me avidly flipping its pages until the finale revelation. After this positive experience, I plan to read more of Laura Wolfe’s writings.

Twenty years ago, back in 2003, I was prom queen...

It's my claim to fame and one of the highlights of my time in high school. I owned that crown!!

GAH! High School was so dang fun.

However, Prom Queen by Laura Wolfe, is a different kind of a story...

Girls can be mean, real mean. Bailey wasn't supposed to be prom queen, but there she was...

Bailey upset a lot of people and someone wanted her to pay... with her life.

After Bailey's murder, Brooke takes off, promising never to return but twenty years later she's back. After a chance run in with a women wearing Bailey's necklace, Brooke becomes determined to find out what happened all those years ago and find out who killed her best friend. But, this small town has secrets and what has Brooke gotten herself into?

This book is down right twisted and kept me guessing the entire time. I absolutely loved the integration of the podcast and the cast of suspects!!

Prom Queen, is a psychological thriller that will keep you at the edge of your seat the entire time. I absolutely loved this book and can not wait to see what Laura Wolfe, comes out with next.

Check out this teaser :

Twenty years ago, someone murdered my best friend the night she was crowned prom queen. Now I’m finally going to prove it…

After Bailey died, I fled our small lakeside hometown and never returned. But now I’m forced back here and I can’t avoid the constant whispers about our prom night, the suspicious looks of the people I grew up with.

Then I bump into a woman in a coffee shop and my eyes are drawn to the silver locket around her neck, glinting in the sunlight. My blood runs cold. I know it’s Bailey’s—she never took it off. And it’s been missing since the night she died.

The shock of seeing it again jolts me back to that terrible night: Bailey under the glittering lights, blowing kisses to a crowd glaring furiously back at her. Bailey wasn’t supposed to be prom queen—and someone made her pay for it.

Officially her death was ruled a tragic accident, but I knew better. I’ve never seen this woman before, so why does she have my best friend’s necklace? There has to be a reason, and this time I’ll stop at nothing to find out what really happened to Bailey the night she died.

Everyone in this town has secrets. But as I edge closer to the truth, I’m afraid of what lengths they’ll go to protect them…

20 years ago, prom queen of the town's high school Bailey is found dead on the train tracks. Police are quick to rule it out as suicide, however after Brooke sees a necklace that Bailey wore all the time as a signed of their friendship lost long before then, she thinks there is more to the story. Now that a true crime podcaster is digging into the closed case, lots of secrets are on the verge of coming out...

This was a quick easy read that thriller lovers will enjoy. While I did not find any of the characters particularly likable, I was interested enough to keep reading and I'll admit I was surprised by the ending, although looking back it makes sense. The idiotic thing was that I didn't see on the ARC copy there was an excerpt of another book at the end so I kept thinking there was going to be another plot twist which slightly affected my perception of it. Regardless, while it was nothing to write home about, I'd still recommend it, especially if you're not looking for something too dark within the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the copy in exchange of an honest review.

I LOVE a good prom story - what is supposed to be a fairy tale often ends in utter disaster. The dress. The shoes. The end of lifelong friendships.
Bailey had rough one too. Hours after crown Prom Queen, Bailey is found dead. On the train tracks.
Her bestie, Brooke, returns to their hometown. A town haunted by Bailey's death - made into an urban legend.
I loved this small town - so much drama and intrigue. Laura Wolfe does an amazing job bringing these characters to life while scaring you to pieces.

On prom night twenty years ago, Brooke's best friend Bailey was crowned Prom Queen and just hours later she jumped to her death from a bridge. Bailey's death was quickly ruled a suicide with no further investigation but her death never sat right with Brooke.

Now Brooke is a single mom back in town to renovate her childhood home, her peers are still around and she's thinking about Bailey and their last year together when they grew distant. After meeting Hannah, a podcaster looking into Bailey's suspicious death, Brooke starts questioning if she was murdered, and if so, who is the murderer while also trying to hold onto her own secrets and find out who may be leaving creepy threatening notes.

This has a jaw-dropping twist and a crazy cliffhanger that will leave you sitting in shock. I never saw it coming, even the murderer was someone I never expected! Usually, thrillers can be quite predictable but not this one although not sure I loved the twist, it was a bit out there.

This was an easy read with a dual timeline, I liked our heroine, Brooke, and how as the story progressed there was always a sense of foreboding. I just wish there was a bit more character development but there are lessons to be learned from this story, 1. Don't be a bully and 2. it's not good to peak in high school.

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture, and Laura Wolfe for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the ARC #PromQueen by #LauraWolfe. I felt like I was right there in the small town while reading this book. It was packed with drama, conspiracy theories and murder. I would highly recommend.

Twenty years ago, Brooke’s (former) best friend, Bailey, died the same night she was elected prom queen. Brooke and Bailey had drifted apart after Bailey became a cheerleader, so a cloud of suspicion has hung over Brooke since. Now, she is back in town to fix up her mom’s house, when a podcaster comes into town investigating Bailey’s death.

I thought this one was fine. I think a lot of the “twists” were predictable, and I think the writing could’ve amped up the suspense more. I really think the second death happened too late. I think if it had happened earlier, it would’ve raised the stakes a lot. It was also strange to me that Brooke was doing interviews for the podcaster?? I think it would’ve made more sense if Brooke had stumbled upon these later. The epilogue though did throw in a good twist. Do I regret reading this? No. Would I say you need to rush to get it? No. It’s a fine thriller with some classic thriller stereotypes.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty years ago, Brooke’s best friend Bailey jumped to her death right after being crowned prom queen. Since her death was quickly ruled a suicide, it was never really investigated. But it never sat right with Brooke; why would Bailey jump right after what was supposed to be the best night of her life? When Brooke returns to her home town to wrap up some loose ends, she sees Bailey everywhere and can’t help but remember their last year together. It doesn’t help that true crime podcaster Hannah Mead is in town now, researching Bailey’s death. When Brooke start receiving threatening notes, she wonders more than ever if a killer is living in her town.

I first read one of Laura Wolfe’s books earlier this year and was blown away by how good it was! So when I heard she had a new book coming out, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Told in dual timelines, Brooke recounts her past friendship with Bailey as the mystery surrounding her death unfolds in the present. I thought the author did a fabulous job portraying the complex friendships high school aged girls could have. My heart went out to several of the girls, and, without giving any spoilers, it’s not hard to see things happened the way they did. Though this was very character-driven, it also contained several jaw-dropping twists, which I loved!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC! “Prom Queen” released October 4, 2023! This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly!

The Prom Queen was wild and I loved it! I loved how well this book was written as well as the story itself. I was hooked from start to finish and the ending was amazing as well!

In 2003, Bailey Maddox apparently committed suicide by jumping out of the bridge. The police ruled her death as suicide but some of the towns people believed that she was murdered. At the time of the murder, Bailey was made the prom queen. Now present day, Bailey's former friend Brooke returns back to the small town. A woman named Hannah is doing a podcast on about Bailey's death and Brooke found Hannah wearing Bailey's necklace--the necklace that Brooke had given to Bailey twenty years ago. And Hannah wanted to do an interview with Brooke--what are the secrets Brooke is having about Bailey's death? Was Bailey murdered or...committed suicide like the police think?

This was a nail biting thriller--and it was quiet unputdownable. It was also a page turner and there were twists and turns along the way. The story divides between the past and present--the past oulining the friendship between Bailey and Brooke and their friendship downfall and present with Brooke working with Hannah on the podcast. I like the fact that everyone, including the main character Brooke is a suspect of Bailey's murder so we never know who the murderer is until towards the end of the chapter. The ending was unexpected and I do like the little cliffhanger towards the end, making the reader guess about what is going to happen next.

Think about the movie " Prom Night" when reading this book--a kind of horror/thriller/slasher movier. This book completely worth five stars in my opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.