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The Executioners Three

The Executioners Three - Sales Cover

Coming August 2025

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard comes a mystery filled with rivalry, romance, best friends, and a gruesome curse that dates back centuries.
 
Freddie Gellar didn’t mean to get half the rival high school arrested. She’d simply heard shrieks coming from the woods, so she’d called the cops like any good human would do. How was she supposed to know it was just kids partying?
 
Except the next day, a body is found. And while the local sheriff might call it suicide, Freddie’s instincts tell her otherwise. So, like the aspiring sleuth (and true X-Files aficionado) she is, Freddie sets out to prove there’s a murderer at large.
 
But her investigation is quickly disrupted by the rivalry between her school and the school of partying teens she got arrested. For over twenty years now, the two student bodies have had an ongoing prank war, and Freddie’s failed attempt at Good Samaritanism has upped the ante. Big time. Worse, the clever—and gorgeous—leader of the rival prank squad has set his sights on Freddie.
 
As more pranks unfurl, more bodies also start piling up in the forest. But it’s the supernatural warning signs around town—each plucked straight from an old forgotten poem called “The Executioners Three”—that worry Freddie the most. She knows the poem and its blood curse can’t be real, but she’s quickly running out of time to prove it.
 
Because the murderer—or executioners?—knows she’s onto them now, and their next target might just be Freddie.

Early Praise for TE3

Instant NYT Bestseller
Instant USA Today Bestseller
Instant National Indie Bestseller
Indie Next List Selection
Waterstones Exclusive Edition Selection
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“The high-stakes overarching plot is well-balanced with Freddie’s complicated social life…An atmospheric ghost story perfect for fall and guaranteed to be creepy fun for teens.”

Booklist

“Humorous banter fuels the growing spark between Freddie and Theo in this campy, action-packed thriller by Dennard.”

Publishers Weekly

“Lovable characters, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and an engaging mystery make this a true page-turner. The 1999 setting is well-developed with references to pop culture that today’s teens will recognize.

An excellent first purchase for libraries, especially those looking for supernatural mysteries.”

School Library Journal, starred review

“An irresistible blend of small-town murder mystery and spine-tingling supernatural elements.”

Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

“Gilmore Girls meets the Scream franchise in this delightfully campy, brilliantly executed (pun intended) horror outing that balances flirty banter, high school hijinks, and copious amounts of blood and guts with gleeful aplomb.”

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“This high-suspense thriller hits all the marks with its slow reveal and cross-genre appeal…Sensual scenes add romantic appeal, and Freddie’s narrative voice echoes the emotionally intense refrains of adolescence as she navigates coming-of-age themes.”

Kirkus Reviews