The Debutantes, A Novel By Olivia Worley

In this darkly glamorous YA thriller, *Jessica Goodman* meets *The Agathas* as secrets unravel in the elite world of New Orleans debutantes during Mardi Gras. For the city’s social elite, the Les Masques Ball is the season’s pinnacle—if it isn’t marred by tragedy again. Last year’s Queen, Margot Landry, died the morning after her reign, her “wild child” reputation casting her death as unfortunate but unsurprising. But this year’s Queen, the flawless Lily LeBlanc, promises a more graceful legacy… until the ball is interrupted by a sinister figure in a Jester costume.

The next morning, Lily is missing. She had messaged three girls from her royal court—her best friend Vivian, her boyfriend’s sister Piper, and former frenemy April—to meet her, but she never arrives. Despite their different backgrounds and ambitions, the trio are now bound by a mystery that might be bigger than they realize. Digging into Lily’s disappearance and Margot’s suspicious death, they begin to see the cracks beneath the debutante world’s glitzy facade.

As they follow clues that lead them deeper into Mardi Gras’s masked revelry, the girls discover that someone—the Jester—knows their darkest secrets and won’t hesitate to expose them if they get too close. Forced to trust each other, this unlikely trio must peel back layers of deceit, power, and privilege to uncover the truth before another Queen falls victim to the deadly game. Mardi Gras may be a celebration, but in New Orleans, some secrets are meant to stay buried. 📚❤️