Blood in the Water [Hardcover]

The instantNew York Timesbestseller!

Winner of the Edgar Award!

Mega bestselling and award-winning author Tiffany D. Jackson (The Weight of Blood;White Smoke) makes her thrilling middle-grade debut with a can't-put-it-down murder mystery set on Martha's Vineyard. R.L. Stine, bestselling author of Goosebumps, says, Don't miss this one!

This summer, beware of sharks...

Brooklyn girl Kaylani McKinnon feels like a fish out of water. She's spending the summer with family friends in their huge house on Martha's Vineyard, and the vibe is definitely snooty. Still, there are beautiful beaches, lots of ice cream, and a town full of fascinating Black history. Plus a few kids her age who seem friendly.

Until the shocking death of a popular teenage boy rocks the community to its core. Was it a drowning? A shark attack? Or the unthinkable--murder?

Kaylani is determined to solve the mystery. But her investigation leads her to uncover shocking secrets that could change herownlife as she knows it... if she survives.

New York Timesbestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson makes her thrilling middle-grade debut with this heart-pounding mystery packed with twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the end.

Praise forBlood in the Water:

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Nominated for the Edgar Award

A 2026 ALSC Notable Children's Book

A Top 10 2026 YALSA Quick Pick & Recommended Audiobook

* Jackson once again proves her brilliance at weaving suspense, heart, and truth into a story that refuses to let go... A masterful middle-grade mystery that challenges, entertains, and lingers long after the final page. --School Library Journal, starred review

* Exhilarating... The protagonist's whip-smart first-person narration expertly complements the suspenseful murder-mystery plot, while chilling prose, atmospheric storlã;