Qui a tué Cécile? by Teresa Torgoff

This captivating novella is a fun read all the way through. I hadn’t ever played Mafia in my class and did so right after reading this book. Now my students want to play all the time! There’s so much to enjoy in this book, both from a teacher’s and a learner’s perspective. Chapters end at a high point of tension, characters are revealed slowly and have depth, cultural tidbits are included naturally, and the balance of narration and dialogue is perfect. Teresa’s teen characters act and speak like real teenagers. Qui a tué Cecile is the perfect choice for a whole class novel and students will definitely want to act out the scenes. But be sure to keep it out for independent reading because they will certainly want to reread it!

If you have ever played the game "mafia" in class with students, they will love this story. The intriguing plot offers lots of opportunity to do retells of events, and the suspense is cunningly woven into the plot until the very end. Intermediate French language learners will devour this thriller.