The Carter Files

Shortlisted for the Wattys 2025!

When Eden Devereaux transfers to Phillips Academy for her senior year, she has one goal: to prove herself as an investigative journalist and secure her future in the field. So when the opportunity to be published in The New York Times arises, she sets her sights on a story no one else dares to touch: the recent death of Malia Carter.

Malia was sixteen, beloved by the elite Hillside community, and her death-an apparent overdose at a party-left behind more questions than answers. The police ruled it accidental, but the scene told a different story: bloody handprints on the walls, a shattered mirror, and Marcus Carter-Malia's brother-found at the scene, covered in blood.

At first, Eden thinks she's chasing a simple exposé. But the deeper she digs, the more tangled the story becomes-grief, guilt, and the lengths people go to protect the ones they love. As secrets unravel, Eden finds herself forced to confront uncomfortable truths: about Malia, about Hillside, and about herself. Her ambition brought her here, but at what cost?

Because some stories aren't about answers-they're about what's left unsaid. And sometimes, the truth is the hardest thing to face.