Rated MATURE only for the not-so-gory murder scene in the prologue.
"I swear on my life, I will find the one who killed my father!"
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When Laila's father was murdered by someone she barely knew, her life took a strange turn. Her mother lost all contact with her and her family, and only her and her siblings were left to catch their father's killer all on their own. But when Laila finds out that both her mother and uncle were accused, their search grows wider. But when her older sister and best friend were to represent them, she knew she had to help them. Would they be found "not guilty" and find the real killer? Or will one of them end up guilty and the real killer still out and roaming?
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Story inspiration comes from the Ace Attorney series, along with the Andy Carpenter mystery series by David Rosenfelt.
The family in this story is based off of the Fey family from Ace Attorney - Laila & Phyllis are Maya & Mia.
Santiago, Robin, and Lacey are also based off of Ace Attorney characters; Godot, Gumshoe, and Ema, respectively.
Phoenix is indeed named after the iconic Phoenix Wright -- he does take his full name as well.
When Jane Madarang's neighbor Natalie kills herself and leaves behind cryptic instructions, it's up to Jane and her classmates to unearth deadly secrets.
*****
Natalie Driscoll is dead.
She threw herself out a window and left her neighbor Jane to unravel their town's darkest secrets. Following Natalie's instructions leads Jane to three other high school students who all have something to hide. The four of them must carry out Natalie's final errand while solving the mysteries written in her diary. But the secrets they unearth may be far more dangerous than what they ever imagined.
Content and/or trigger warning: This story contains scenes of suicide, violence and murder that may be triggering for some readers.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]