The Bad Girl Society: The Wicked Six, #1

By Margot Drew Delaney

Some secrets should stay buried.

A twisty, escapist, amateur sleuth murder mystery thriller about boarding school, secrets, revenge, ambition, and the power of teenage girls. The Bad Girl Society is a prequel novella that leads into the full-length novel: Who Is Killing The Bad Girls? 

 

1995. In the cloistered halls of a private, all-girls boarding school for the troublesome offspring of wealthy families, the power was held by school-mandated authorities—the Head Girl and her Top Girl prefects—as well as the pretty, popular girls who can be found in any high school... until Sabrina Christopher arrives. She forms a clique of six girls with special skills and an agenda.

 

Ten years later, future star journalist Abi Denton has one thing on her mind - winning the Summer Story competition and securing her dream job. When up-and-coming actress Mia Kelly is found dead, Abi learns her own roommate Naomi went to school with her ten years ago. Abi thinks this might be the story to launch her career, but Naomi isn't talking. Wild, beautiful, and unpredictable, Naomi is usually an open book....

So what is she hiding?
 

The Bad Girl Society (The Wicked Six Origin Story),  is a prequel novella that leads into the full-length novel: Who Is Killing The Bad Girls? a dark academia, boarding school murder mystery with an amateur sleuth and all the secrets, revenge, betrayal and twists you're looking for.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: SWARM Publishing
• Release date: Dec 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781991197184

Book preview

THE BAD GIRL SOCIETY

A Wicked Six Prequel Novella

MARGOT DREW DELANEY

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SWARM Publishing

Copyright © 2023 Margot Drew Delaney. All Rights Reserved.

Version one published in 2023 as Mia is the First to Die.

Version two, The Bad Girl Society, published April 2024.

SWARM Publishing, Auckland, New Zealand

ISBN (epub) 978-1-9911971-8-4

ISBN (kindle) 978-1-9911971-9-1

The Bad Girl Society is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents, except those clearly in the public domain, are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, names, places or incidents is purely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Contents

MIA

1

2

3

HOLLY

4

HOLLY

5

SABRINA

6

ALL SAINTS ACADEMY

THE STRATFORD GAZETTE

Dear Reader

A small town murder mystery

Killer Focus

MIA

MAY 2005 / THURSDAY

The reporter leaned forward, eyes bright. This is it, Mia Kelly. Your big break.

A pulse of excitement contracted Mia’s stomach. She pushed it away and pasted on a grateful, humble smile. I suppose. She dipped her chin. But I’m very proud of my work to date. My indie career is what made me who I am today.

Not entirely true, Mia thought, even as the words left her mouth. Not really. Her indie films had honed her craft, sure, but her career had roots that stretched farther back.

This movie will be the first time a lot of people have heard about you, the reporter continued. It’s a chance to give new fans some interesting background details. What were you like as a teenager, for instance.

Well, at boarding school—

You went to boarding school? The reporter seemed delighted. Oh, I love that.

Mia nodded.

What was it like?

Mostly, pretty great. Mia smiled. They called me The Chameleon.

Who did?

Immediately, five faces flashed into Mia’s mind. A montage memory of the six of them standing in a circle, wearing cloaks, listening to Sabrina’s latest scheme.

The, uh, other girls, Mia replied, holding back the truth. She was hardly going to get into all that.

I could turn myself into anyone, she continued. Do impressions. With the right costume I could pass for others.

Does that mean you pretended to be other people?

Mia nodded, a sly look.

For what purpose?

That, I can’t tell you. She widened her smile. But I can show you. An impression.

Yeah? Who’ve you got?

Mia cleared her throat, adjusted her posture, and did her best Winona Ryder.

The reporter sucked back a gasp. Uncanny.

Mia nodded, pleasure crawling up her chest and warming her cheeks. A few more?

Absolutely.

Mia showed her Kiera Knightly, Drew Barrymore, and her personal favorite Diane Keaton.

Wow. You’re really talented.

Mia laughed. You sound surprised.

The reporter gave her an embarrassed smile. Sorry. The number of interviews I’ve done with actors who… and I haven’t actually seen any of your films.

Mia waved a hand as if to say no big deal but it burned a little. This chick couldn’t watch one movie to prepare for an interview? Wasn’t that her job?

But I will now. Consider me a convert. The reporter scribbled something on her notepad. We’ll definitely be using that. She looked up. Anything else worth mentioning?

Ha, Mia thought. The stories she could tell. But every word she uttered was a brushstroke on the picture she was painting for the world. Which meant some of those teen girl boarding school stories would stay buried in the past forever.

Two hours later and still smiling from the interview—with a post-workout high on top—Mia let herself inside her apartment. She dropped her keys on the hall table, then shrugged off her jacket to stand in front of the full length mirror. She twisted and turned so she could see every inch of her sweat-soaked, Lycra-clad body. All the angles. Every bump, ridge, crease, sinew and bulge. She adopted a warrior woman pose and then pretended to shoot a gun. Four-months of brutal, sacrificial worship at LA BODY had been worth it. Weights, cardio, weights, Pilates, Ballet, weights and eating almost nothing but protein. All in her quest to become Sexy Main Action Chick and she’d finally done it. She allowed herself one moment of pure, unencumbered joy and then shook it off and headed for the shower, stripping off her clothes as she walked.

Until now she’d always been cast as the hippy dippy, angsty