Elizabeth Klehfoth

When I finished ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL STRANGERS, I was completely satisfied as a reader, just as I feel with all the best books I read! It was a mix of memories of my own adolescence and the way that things aren't always exactly as they seem that was the appeal for me in this well-written, clever mix of family drama and mystery. Fully fleshed characters, chapters that ended in a way that made me want to keep reading, short flash-backs that heightened my curiosity about what actually happened show more in the past - all these things combined made it a great read. If you enjoy campus and boarding school mysteries, you should like this one. show less

Weaving back and forth in time, All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth is an engaging young adult mystery.

In 2007, seven year old Charlotte "Charlie" Calloway's mother Grace Fairchild vanished without a trace. From a working class background, Grace's marriage to wealthy Alistair Calloway was rather volatile at the time of her disappearance. The subsequent investigation into the case yields an unexpected clue that points to Grace leaving of her own volition. However, troubling show more evidence at the family's lakeside home casts a few doubts on this supposition. With no new leads, Grace's disappearance remains a mystery and life for Alistair, Charlie and younger sister, Seraphina slowly returned to normal.

In 2017, Charlie is in her junior year at the prestigious Knollwood Prep School where she is elated to be chosen as an initiate for the elite, secret society, the "A's". She, her cousin, Leo and best friend Drew are very excited about becoming a full-fledged member of the club. In order to secure their positions, each of them must complete the three tasks that have been assigned to them. As Charlie begins her quest to become an "A", her Uncle Hank unexpectedly shows up Knollwood to let her know he has found a very troubling set of pictures that might be linked to her mother's disappearance. Reluctantly drawn into uncovering the truth about what happened to Grace, Charlie stumbles onto shocking information that could destroy her family.

Charlie is self-absorbed, spoiled and entitled. She gives little thought to anyone but herself and quite frankly, it is unsurprising she has few friends. Charlie has trust issues so she comes across as somewhat standoffish and due to her family's wealth and position in society, she is a bit arrogant. Determined to become a full-fledged member of the "A's", Charlie eagerly fulfills the first two tasks assigned to her.

As she tries to solve the mystery of Grace's disappearance, Charlie becomes reacquainted with her mother's best friend, Claire, and Claire's son, Greyson. A lot of the details that Charlie discovers occur by happenstance since the information literally falls in her lap. She does track down every lead she finds and through a series of startling coincidences, Charlie finds a stunning connection that eventually reveals the truth about what happened to her mother.

All These Beautiful Strangers is an engrossing mystery although the cast of unlikable characters and unpalatable dating game are a bit off-putting. The flashbacks about Grace are more interesting than the story arc in the present. While there are some unexpected plot twists, savvy readers will most likely have little trouble figuring out the truth about Grace's disappearance. In the end, the only real uncertainty swirls around Charlie and her unexpected chance at redemption. All in all, this enjoyable debut by Elizabeth Klehfoth will appeal to both older teens and adult readers. show less

Charlie Calloway, a 17 year old at a fancy boarding school on the east coast, digs into her family past. Charlie's mother, the beautiful Grace Fairchild who came from the wrong side of the tracks, disappeared ten years ago and her body was never found. The story is told through flashing back between Grace's life and Charlie's present day life at Knollwood, the school her wealthy father Alistair also attended. Charlie becomes part detective as she pieces together old photos and listens to show more detective transcripts to uncover a murder that happened at Knollwood back in her father's day and the murder of her mother. show less

This novel is a unique combination of a murder/disappearance mystery, together with a deeper look at an ages-old suicide mystery, with a great delving into questions of class, privilege, the drama high school brings to teenagehood. It's a great read, presents some young characters whose escapades and lives in a top-tier high school gets put under the microscope. Very well done.