Point of View

The point of view of the novel alternates between the first-person point of view of Ellery and Malcolm. Ellery and Malcolm are both high school seniors, but Malcolm has lived in Echo Ridge his entire life, while Ellery has only just moved to her mother’s hometown. Because the chapters in the novel alternate between their perspectives, the reader is allowed access to the town through the eyes of a stranger and the eyes of a local. Ellery and Malcolm are both involved with the crimes that have plagued Echo Ridge for the last 20 years, but they inhabit opposite sides of the same coin. Ellery’s family was crushed when her aunt Sarah was murdered by Peter during senior prom, and Malcolm’s family was destroyed when his brother was falsely accused of killing Lacey 15 years later when Peter struck once again and killed another...