Cold Calls - by Charles Benoit (Paperback)

About the Book

In the vein of the teen suspense classics I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Face on the Milk Carton, Cold Calls is a chilling thriller, an unsettling mystery, and a provocative exploration of bullying, culpability, and the cost of keeping secrets.

Book Synopsis

Three high school students--Eric, Shelly, and Fatima--have one thing in common: "I know your secret."

Each one is blackmailed into bullying specifically targeted schoolmates by a mysterious caller who whispers from their cell phones and holds carefully guarded secrets over their heads. But how could anyone have obtained that photo, read those hidden pages, uncovered this buried past? Thrown together, the three teens join forces to find the stranger who threatens them--before time runs out and their shattering secrets are revealed . . .

This suspenseful, pitch-perfect mystery-thriller raises timely questions about privacy, bullying, and culpability.

Review Quotes

"Benoit's handling of cultural diversity, adolescent religious awareness, and everyday technology in teen lives makes for satisfying, thought-provoking reading." --Booklist "Bullying, blackmail, and bad choices are interwoven through this cautionary tale in a manner that's relatable and engaging." --VOYA "With a quick pace, this psychological thriller takes readers for a ride, providing clues to the secrets the characters are trying to hide but without disclosing all of the information until later chapters. The coldness of the caller in relation to the damage he/she is doing to the bullying victims as well as the blackmail victims is particularly chilling." --School Library Journal

About the Author

Charles Benoit's teen novels include Snow Job, Fall from Grace, and You, an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. He is a former high school teacher and the Edgar-nominated author of three adult mysteries. On the weekends, he plays tenor sax with Some Ska Band in his hometown of Rochester, New York. Visit his website at www.charlesbenoit.com.