The Sixes: A Novel [Hardcover]

Kate White (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 2, 2011

KateWhite rises to the pinnacle of modern suspense with The Sixes, apage-turning stand-alone thriller from the New York Times bestsellingauthor of Hush, and the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitanmagazine. With taught prose evocative of Laura Lippman’sLife Sentences and Dennis Lehane’s MoonlightMile, White paints the sinister picture of a quiet Pennsylvaniacollege town left shaken after a mysterious death precipitates a cascade ofevil events on campus. When new teacher Phoebe Hall undertakes the dangerousquest of uncovering the truth behind the ghastly recent happenings, herinvestigation will send her into the clutches of a deadly secret society—theSixes—and unearth the dark relics of her own long-buried past.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is the perfect book to take on a transatlantic flight to Europe. Trust me I just did it. . . . A fast-paced plot that wraps itself up in time for you to race to the bathroom before the plane starts its descent.” (Vanity Fair )

“A coed’s gone missing at leafy Lyle College, and visiting prof Phoebe Hall is asking too many questions. A nifty spine-tingler.” (People )

“The Sixes has all the ingredients for a fantastic summer read: an elite private school, a secret society, and a band of terrifying mean girls. In Kate White’s skillful hands, it’s a story that simultaneously scares and entertains.” (Alafair Burke, author of Long Gone )

“The Sixes is a terrifying, psychological thriller that takes ‘mean girls’ to a whole new level of creepy. It’s Kate White’s best!” (Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Live Wire )

“You won’t be able to put it down; just remember to reapply your sunscreen every so often.” (Harper's Bazaar, Labor Day Weekend 'Must Reads' )

“Kate White’s newest standalone is scarily good—a riveting, psychologically complex tale of mean girls, with a dark twist. You won’t be able to put it down. I loved this book!” (Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author of Save Me )

“Cleverly woven with comic dialogue and sexy dates, the narrative mixes the spookiness of Twin Peaks with the scandal of Gossip Girl, plus a dash of Ian McEwan-esque drama. . . . A page-turner.” (Nylon Magazine )

“Kate White writes smart.” (Cleveland Plain Dealer )

“A superior mix of romantic suspense and pure mystery while avoiding clichés. . . . An academic mystery, a women’s novel and an insular village mystery with the private school standing in for a small town.” (South Florida Sun Sentinel )

“This thriller hooks you from the get-go-besides the adrenaline rush, this story reminded me how every experience, good or bad, forms us and makes us stronger.” (First for Women )

“It was so much fun to read about the secret-girl society in The Sixes. Their evil pranks gave me chills! A fun Pretty Little Liars for grown-ups . . . I can’t wait to read more from Kate. She got the evil girl thing just right.” (Sara Shepard, author of the bestselling Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game )

“Cosmo editor-in-chief White’s prose--like a brisk walk through a tree-lined campus in autumn--is perfectly suited to the setting and tone of this stand-alone mystery thriller about mean girl games run amok. . . . A worthy end-of-summer beach read.” (Publishers Weekly )

From the Back Cover

From the New York Times bestselling authorof Hush and the Bailey Weggins mysteryseries comes a thriller set in a college townwhere a student’s death sends one womanon a search for the truth and into theclutches of a frightening secret society.

Phoebe Hall’s Manhattan life has suddenly begun to unravel. Right after her long-term boyfriend breaks off their relationship, she’s falsely accused of plagiarizing her latest bestselling celebrity biography. Looking for a quiet place to put her life back together, Phoebe jumps at the offer to teach in a sleepy Pennsylvania town at a small private college run by her former boarding school roommate and close friend, Glenda Johns.

But behind the campus’s quiet cafés and leafy maple trees lie evil happenings. The body of a female student washes up on the banks of a nearby river, and disturbing revelations begin to surface: accusations from coeds about abuses wrought by a secret society of girls on campus known as The Sixes.. To help Glenda, Phoebe embarks on a search for clues—a quest that soon raises painful memories of her own boarding school days years ago.

As the investigation heats up, Phoebe unexpectedly finds herself falling for the school’s handsome psychology professor, Duncan Shaw. But when nasty pranks turn into deadly threats, Phoebe realizes she’s in the middle of a real-life nightmare, not knowing whom she can trust and if she will even survive.

Plunging deeper into danger with every step, Phoebe knows she’s close to unmasking a killer. But with truth comes a terrifying revelation: your darkest secrets can still be uncovered . . . and starting over may be a crime punishable by death.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Harper; First Edition first Printing edition (August 2, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006157662X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061576621
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #722,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kate White is recognized internationally as not only the veteran editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, the best-selling women's magazine in the world, but also as the critically acclaimed author of both fiction and nonfiction books. Few high-profile editors have successfully balanced the rigors of overseeing a major magazine title with a thriving and independent writing career.

It all began when Kate won Glamour magazine's Top Ten College Women contest and appeared on the cover. Kate earned a position at the magazine and quickly rose from editorial assistant to feature writer and columnist. After holding key jobs at several national magazines, she became an editor-in-chief, running four magazines (including Redbook) before taking the helm at Cosmopolitan in 1998.

Drawing on experiences from her successful career, Kate published the bestselling career bibles Why Good Girls Don't Get Ahead...but Gutsy Girls Do in 1995 and 9 Secrets of Women who Get Everything They Want in 1998. Her most recent nonfiction book, You on Top: Smart Sexy Skills Every Woman Needs to Set the World on Fire published in 2006.

But Kate also has a passion for writing fiction. In penning her first novel, If Looks Could Kill, in 2002--which was selected as Live With Regis and Kelly's first Reading With Ripa Book Club pick--Kate introduced her gutsy and irreverent sleuth, Bailey Weggins. Ms. Weggins went on to solve more grisly murders and entertain readers in A Body to Die For (2003), 'Til Death Do Us Part (2004), Over Her Dead Body (2005), and then again in Lethally Blond (2007), all New York Times bestsellers. The books were recently optioned by Lions Gate Pictures.

Kate's highly anticipated first thriller, HUSH, with her new publisher HarperCollins, will be available in bookstores March 2010. HUSH marks Kate's entry into a whole new genre. Set in the world of fertility clinics and hailed as a "pulse-pounding, chilling, and provocative" read, it's the story of an ordinary woman who flees the scene of a murder and realizes it's not just the law that is hunting her.

Kate's writer's eye has been described by the New York Times as "scathingly observant," capturing "the mood...with a verisimilitude some of her peers might recognize." The Los Angeles Times says of Kate's work: "It's like devouring a box of chocolates!"

Through her magazine work and books, Kate White has influenced at least two generations of women with her unique honesty, passion, and imagination. She is the winner of the Matrix Award for Outstanding Achievement in Communication, as well as the Woodhall Institute Award for Ethical Leadership.

Kate currently resides in Manhattan with her husband and two children.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars By the numbers August 2, 2011

By Sharilyn

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Here are six reasons why I found The Sixes less than satisfying (minor spoilers):

1. The Implausible Set Up. I'm happy to suspend disbelief, but this book stretches even my credulity. I highly doubt any respectable college would hire someone accused on plagiarism. And even in fiction, reasonably intelligent people call the police when their home is repeatedly broken into and their safety threatened.

2. The Shallow Characterisation. None of the characters ring true; they're all one-dimensional. The author meticulously describes what everyone is wearing, but never digs beneath the facade. Phoebe is bland and far too trusting for someone who supposedly used to dig up dirt for a living. Best friend Glenda is a driven career woman, so focused on her job she fails to notice that her marriage is disintegrating. Love interest Duncan is stereotypically handsome and brooding with a mysterious past.

3. The Dull Villains. The girls in the Sixes are more mild than mean. They don't pose a credible threat and, in the end, aren't even involved in the murder.

4. The Total Lack of Suspense. This thriller is lacking in genuine thrills. For example, the Sixes break into Pheobe's house leaving apples and later teaspoons. Sorry, but I just don't find fruit and flatware frightening.

5. The Bad Sex Scenes They weren't necessary to the plot. They also weren't romantic, sensual or erotic.

6. The Bland Storyline. The mystery failed to engage me and the solution was rather trite and predictable. Ultimately this book was like a made-for-cable movie: nothing special, but not bad enough to make you change the channel.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars More Miss Marple than Mean Girls July 22, 2011

By OutlawPoet VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

When Phoebe, needing a break from an accusation of plagiarism, takes a job at a rural college, the peace of the small school is rocked by the death of a student and all signs point to murder. Phoebe is asked by a friend of hers to investigate the girl's death and discovers the presence of a secret society on campus - a society known only as The Sixes.

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SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!

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This really is a very traditional amateur sleuth novel, mixed with a little Lifetime Movie intrigue. I think that this will appeal a bit more to fans of that genre than to those who like their suspense a little more hard hitting. Those of you who aren't fans of the amateur sleuth genre will find yourselves wondering things like:

"Who on earth would ask a blogger to investigate a murder?"
"Why would any college hire someone accused of plagiarism to teach this class?"
"Why does this college teacher in her thirties act like a giddy sixteen-year-old?"
"Why does no one ever call the police?"
"Why is this secret society so dull?"

I was intrigued and excited by the thought of the "mean girls'. The only problem was - they aren't so mean. LOL - no matter how hard you try, I don't know how any author can make someone leaving six spoons in your dishwasher threatening and chilling. In addition, they don't actually show up until the 2nd third of the book. By then, I wasn't convinced they even existed. And, unfortunately, when they do show up, they're a bit of a bore.

There are a few surprises here and there and it's not a bad read. It just wasn't really as advertised.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Negatives Outweighed the Positives November 27, 2011

By Mary Kate TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

The Sixes was my first book by Kate White and it hasn't inspired me to seek out any of her earlier work.

Characterizations were flat with the main character rather unappealing and the titular Sixes uninteresting. I also found the romance dull and the constant descriptions of what everyone was wearing annoying. I did find the mystery itself rather intriguing, but the aspects of the story and writing that I disliked far outweighed that intrigue and make this a story I won't recommend to others.