Blood in the Water by Jackson, Tiffany D.

The instant New York Times bestseller!

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 her own life as she knows it... if she survives.

New York Times bestselling 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.

Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: 07/01/2025
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.70w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781338849912
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.9
Point Value: 6
Interest Level: Middle Grade Plus
Quiz #/Name: 555459 / Blood in the Water


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/21/2025
Kirkus Reviews 05/01/2025
Booklist 05/01/2025 pg. 110
School Library Journal 06/01/2025 pg. 84
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 07/01/2025
Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2025 pg. 97
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2025
Shelf Awareness 06/28/2025

About the Author
Tiffany D. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Blood in the Water, as well as several YA novels and two picture books. The recipient of the 2025 Margaret A. Edwards Award, Tiffany is also a Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award winner and an NAACP Image Award nominee. She received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University. The Brooklyn native is currently splitting her time between the borough she loves and the South, most likely multitasking. Learn more at writeinbk.com.