Book Review - Murder on the Upper East Side by Gigi Waldorf - #HolidayReading Tunisia

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Title: Murder on the Upper East Side

Author: Gigi Waldorf

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 18th June 2026

Rating: 4 Stars

Scandal never graduates. Holly Jackson meets Gossip Girl in this glossy thriller, set in the glamorous world of New York's ultra-elite.

2016. Hannah Miller has begun her senior year at The Prescott Academy of New York alongside the rich and famous of the Upper East Side. Or at least, their children.

Among the trust funds and penthouse parties, there’s one rule for survival: staying out of the way of Queen Bees Madison DuPont and Elle Harrington.

For Hannah, being a scholarship student makes her feel invisible. But nobody can escape the watchful eye of notorious gossip account The Upper Edge.

2026. The Academy's alumni have gathered for a glittering charity gala. Only Madison DuPont could host an event this grand.

But what starts as a champagne-fueled party soon descends into chaos when Madison is found dead moments after her speech.

It doesn't take long for fingers to point at Hannah – everyone saw her talking to Madison only moments before she died. She shouldn't even be at the gala. She's not really one of them. But the truth is that everyone had a reason to want Madison dead.

To clear her name, Hannah must unearth the secrets that this crowd would kill to keep buried.

I really enjoyed this look at Prescott Academy and all the bitchiness and manipulation that goes on amongst rich teens who think they can get away with anything.

This is not a cast of characters that I can truly say I loved as they all are so human but taken to a bit more of an extreme and though I was rooting for Hannah at times to clear her name, she also did things that I wasn't sure I would agree with. 

But despite that they are characters that I was definitely interested in, just to see what they would do to each other next. 

Set between their last year at Prescott in 2016 and 10 years later at a gala ball with lots of alumni, we know that head queen bitch Madison is clearly murdered quite early on. 

But with a class divide, everyone including the police seem to think it was Hannah unless she can come up with proof that it wasn't her.  

And wow we get to learn a lot of secrets in this book, as well as getting to see how the other half live with private member clubs and a whole lot more. 

Lots of drama, teen angst and cattiness, and a murderer to discover, this is fast paced and enthralling to read.  

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.