The Last One Home

Everyone says Maya Ortiz was the last person to leave with Jordan Pierce.
There's only one problem: Maya knows she walked home alone.

The morning after a crowded high-school party, sixteen-year-old Jordan Pierce is found dead near the Bellwether greenway.

Within hours, witnesses place Maya beside him.

A video makes their final conversation look like an argument. Her muddy shoes match the trail. Her phone goes dark during the exact window investigators believe Jordan died.

And the district attorney gives the case just seventy-two hours before deciding whether Maya should be charged.

But then Maya finds something the police missed.

Jordan sent her messages after she had already left the party.

He wanted to show her a mysterious blue folder.

And he warned her not to tell anyone.

With her brother Dre at her side, Maya begins rebuilding Jordan's final hours one timestamp, receipt, video, and lie at a time. What she uncovers points toward hidden money, missing evidence, manipulated memories-and someone who has been quietly steering the investigation from the beginning.

Because in Bellwether, the most dangerous story isn't always the truth.

It's the one everyone agrees to believe.

The Last One Home is a fast-paced YA crime thriller packed with mystery, false leads, hidden clues, small-town pressure, family loyalty, and a fair-play whodunit for readers who love suspenseful teen mysteries.