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The Sixes

by Kate White (Goodreads Author)

3.49 of 5 stars 3.49 · rating details · 1,356 ratings · 276 reviews

From the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Hush" and the Bailey Weggins mystery series comes a thriller set in a college town where a student's death sends one woman on a search for the truth and into the clutches of a frightening secret society.

Phoebe Hall's Manhattan life has suddenly begun to unravel. Right after her long-term boyfriend breaks off their relationsh...more

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published August 2nd 2011 by Harper (first published August 1st 2011)

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Book Expo 2011

106th out of 118 books — 168 voters

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Aug 28, 2011 Jeanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: back-to-school, mystery

Oh, did this look promising on the new shelf at my local public library! Unfortunately, it is another cheesy/flimsy effort from the editor-in-chief of Cosmo. But I fell for it, based on the dust jacket's blurb.

Phoebe Hall is taking a break from her fabulous life as a celebrity biographer. She's fled Manhattan for Lyle College in Pennsylvania. By teaching at Lyle, she's exorcising her demons (she had some nightmarish experiences in school) and trying to forget that icky plagiarism scandal (presen...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Laurel-Rain rated it 4 of 5 stars

When celebrity biographer Phoebe Hall is accused of plagiarism, her Manhattan life starts unraveling. Needing a break and a chance for a fresh beginning, she accepts a job as an instructor at Lyle College in Pennsylvania, where her old boarding school friend Glenda Johns is the president.

But she's barely in town for any time at all when a young girl, someone with whom she had a conversation just weeks before, washes up on the bank of the river. And a series of seemingly unconnected deaths begin...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Michelle added it

Kate White's The Sixes is an engaging, albeit predictable, thriller that attempts to piggyback on the idea of female bullies and a new wave of feminism that turns the idea of girl power on its head. Between secret societies, mysterious, escalating threats, and eventually dead people, Phoebe Hall has her hands full attempting to determining just what is occurring at Lyle College. While the idea of a female secret society is intriguing, the execution of the storyline prevents the novel from being...more Kate White's The Sixes is an engaging, albeit predictable, thriller that attempts to piggyback on the idea of female bullies and a new wave of feminism that turns the idea of girl power on its head. Between secret societies, mysterious, escalating threats, and eventually dead people, Phoebe Hall has her hands full attempting to determining just what is occurring at Lyle College. While the idea of a female secret society is intriguing, the execution of the storyline prevents the novel from being as suspenseful and as strong as it could be.

The reader will experience several issues with The Sixes, the first of which is Phoebe's involvement in the mysteries. Why would anyone allow a celebrity biographer to snoop around a mysterious death? What makes her better able to solve the mystery than the police? If this were the beginning of a series, about a celebrity biographer/interviewer turned sleuth, the entire situation might be more plausible. Even worse, when someone starts breaking into Phoebe's home, who does not report the incidents to the police? I can understand the need to protect the college's reputation but at the cost of an employee's safety and well-being? These reactions to certain scenes do not feel authentic but rather appear manufactured to add more drama. Instead, they add a sense of incredulity to the entire affair.

In addition, Phoebe remains a distant heroine. Even with a third-person omniscient narrator, the reader does not get the opportunity to learn more about Phoebe's motivations or philosophies driving her actions. There are some rather overt hints, but Ms. White only explores Phoebe's past in fits and starts. There is an attempt to flashback, but the flashbacks are so abrupt and so without warning that the reader does not understand that they are flashbacks until several sentences into the new section. The reader never knows when the action is occurring in the present versus in the past or to which secret society to which Phoebe is referring. It makes for a disjointed story.

This is one audiobook experience where the narrator almost ruins the story. Ms. Cohn has an annoying habit of continuing her accent or inflections past the dialogue and into the "he said" or "she said" sections of the novel. It is distracting to hear a description stated with the rising inflection associated with questions just because the last line of dialogue is also a question. She tends towards over-dramatization and over-the-top reactions that do not appear to fit with the scene. Her hysterical characters are just a bit too hysterical. Someone sobbing is difficult to understand. It is all just too much. Unfortunately, with a novel that is weak anyway, the poor narrator makes it rather difficult to finish.

Putting aside the narrator, The Sixes is not terrible. It does keep the reader's interest through the secret society angle and Phoebe's own history. Unfortunately, the switches between the current situation and Phoebe's boarding school experiences are too abrupt, disrupting the flow and any building suspense. The reader never truly gets inside Phoebe's head, and some of her reactions to situations never quite make sense until the very end. The end result is an audiobook that one can enjoy much in the same fashion as someone enjoys watching B movies or cult classics. It is extremely predictable, somewhat campy, and yet, the reader is able to enjoy it immensely because of that.

Thank you to Beth Harper from Harper Audio for my review copy!(less)

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Mar 26, 2013 Joanne Guidoccio rated it 4 of 5 stars

While I enjoyed reading Kate White’s best-selling career bible, Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead…but Gutsy Girls Do, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the high-profile editor of Cosmopolitan also has a passion for writing fiction.

The sixth of seven novels, The Sixes is a stand-alone psychological thriller. From the first page onward, I was engrossed in the story and had trouble putting the book down, disrupting my sleep patterns for several nights.

Celebrity writer Phoebe Hall is hiding i...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

I always forget how much I love a good mystery until I find myself reading one, and this was pretty damn good. Let me talk about the things that annoyed me first so we can move on quickly from that to what I liked about the book. First off, I kind of wanted to punch Phoebe. I wanted to punch Phoebe because she's that woman who is always way too focused on the wrong thing. She's setting aside her personal safety and ignoring blatant warnings in order to figure out who the Sixes are and what their...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Colleen Oakes rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm amazed by the mystery section at the library. Its huge. I can't help but think that I'm perhaps writing the wrong genre - mystery is alive and well. The problem, as a reader, is finding a good mystery. One that keeps me guessing, one that I don't know who did it 5 seconds in (every CSI episode EVER). I was mainly attracted to this book because of the bright pink cover, yes I'm a stupid girl who picks books with bright pink covers, but um, the last book I read had a dragon on the cover. That'...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Reeling from a plagiarism scandal that torpedoed her personal and professional lives, Phoebe gratefully accepts a friend's offer of a teaching job at a small college. When a coed dies under mysterious circumstances, Phoebe's asked to put her considerable research skills to work solving the case. Her investigation leads her to a secret society known as The Sixes, who'll stop at nothing to protect themselves - and Phoebe's first on their hit list.

Now this is a suspense novel. It's an edge-of-you...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Rhonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked the story but some parts were a little jumpy from time to time. I went back to see if I missed somthing and than forward and it went back to what I thought I missed.
Phoebe was celebrating her a new book being on New York best seller 6 weeks. Thought everything was going well and then the bottom droped. Her guy dumped her. She was accused of using another writers work. Turns out a researcher for her put papers in wrong folder and she did not catch it. Media was all over her. They were hol...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, non-erotic, suspense-mystery

Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

Gaining power at the expense of others, an age-old problem, is alive and thriving at Lyle College among students and college personnel.

Phoebe Hall, a visiting professor, is drawn into clandestine, ominous undercurrents as she gathers information about The Sixes to help her friend Glenda Johns, president at Lyle College. Glenda had offered Phoebe a “hidey-hole” to escape her life in New York that was in shambles, so Phoebe agrees to l...more Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

Gaining power at the expense of others, an age-old problem, is alive and thriving at Lyle College among students and college personnel.

Phoebe Hall, a visiting professor, is drawn into clandestine, ominous undercurrents as she gathers information about The Sixes to help her friend Glenda Johns, president at Lyle College. Glenda had offered Phoebe a “hidey-hole” to escape her life in New York that was in shambles, so Phoebe agrees to look into a secret society that will bring back memories best forgotten.

Phoebe, a best–seller author, loves research but soon finds her “Sherlocking” has swept her into a dangerous spot. She hates the fear that comes to the fore because of her own experiences when she was in college and was one of the “others”. As she uncovers and endures some of the despicable deeds of THE SIXES, a secret girls’ group on campus, the memory of horrific things that happened to her refuse to stay buried,

The Sixes are “girl power gone wild”, “like wolves”. Their use and misuse of susceptible girls and “dorky, nerdy” boys leads to destroyed futures and even death.

Kate White, with her mesmerizing fictional story, reveals a troubling side of humanity that plagues modern society while showing how Phoebe rises like a Phoenix from the ashes of her professional and personal life to become a wiser and freer person. Phoebe’s libido, that she thought had “left the building” for good, reawakens when the handsome, mysterious Professor Duncan Shaw slips into her life.

The secondary characters with all their intrigues, secrets, hang-ups, and foibles keep Phoebe stirred-up and on the brink of hysteria much of the time, not to mention in danger of losing her life. Glenda offers the best support she can, but her husband Mark Johns, who moves with subterfuge and under radar most of the time, manages to let Phoebe know he is not happy about her being at Lyle.

Other characters like the pompous, arrogant Tom Stockton, dean of students; Val Porter, professor of women’s studies; Craig Ball, the campus security chief; the ex-chief Hutch Hutchison, take Phoebe deeper and deeper into the murky waters of life at Lyle College.

Students and former students are snags unseen on the surface but lethal in their ability to snare the unsuspecting. Blair Usher, her roommate Gwen, and Jen Imbibio, along with former students Wesley Hines, Trevor Harris, and Alexis play big roles in the unraveling of the secrets at Lyle.

This novel ripples with ominous undercurrents (full of red herrings) keeping the reader turning pages to find out just who the bad guys and the good guys really are.

Ms White uses symbolism, incredible metaphors, and a fast-paced style, bringing to life the setting and revealing the deepest emotions of the characters. She does a masterful job of weaving together a multitude of characters with personal agendas that drive them to do extreme things as they strive to reach their goals. The psychopathic and sociopathic actions of some create scary, adrenaline-pumping episodes. However, the steadfastness of true friendships and the sweet, subtle emergence of patient love that survives all the dark deeds make The Sixes sparkle with hope for the future.

(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Phoebe Hall is a famous writer. All of her books have been on the best sellers list. Things coming crashing down suddenly on Phoebe, when she is accused of plagiarism. Phoebe’s agent suggests that Phoebe take a vacation until things cool down. That is why, when Phoebe’s friend, Glenda offers Phoebe a short term teaching job at Lyle College, Phoebe accepts.

Phoebe is getting comfortable, until a girl goes missing. Glenda asks Phoebe to investigate on behalf of the college, the girl’s disappearanc...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 4 of 5 stars

As I had assumed I would after reading the description I read through this book in less than a day. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys fiction about celebrities, secret societies, and romance. The book follows Phoebe, a disgraced celebrity biographer, to a small college town where she goes to work teaching for an old friend from boarding school. Once she is there she realizes that the town has more happening than she thought and she begins to investigate a secret girl’s society t...more

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Jul 26, 2011 J.R. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense

Her reputation damaged by charges of plagiarism and hurting from a romantic breakup, celebrity journalist Phoebe Hall accepts an offer from an old friend to seek refuge in a teaching stint at a small Pennsylvania college. Glenda Johns, the friend, is president of the college and Phoebe’s confident about an incident from the past which haunts her.

Soon after her arrival on campus a female student who confides a secret drowns in what may be suicide, an accident or something more sinister. Phoebe’s...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Faye Heath rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've been sitting here asking myself what it takes for a book to rate a four or five star review. I read for many different reasons. I read to be enlightened. I read to be uplifted. I read to be entertained. Heck, sometimes I read to scoff and maybe feel a bit superior. How do you compare different types of books? If East of Eden or A Tale Of Two Cities deserves five stars how do you rank a really good beach read? It's comparing apples and oranges.

I've decided that, for me, I will hand out stars...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Kaitlin rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at the library on a whim - the details of the book on the inside cover sounding interesting and I thought I'd give it a chance, never having read anything by Kate White. The Sixes tells the story of Phoebe Hall, a celebrity author who was recently accused of plagarism who decides to fill in for her friend as a sub at Lyle College. A student, Lily, has just been declared missing and turns up a day or two later having drowned in the nearby river. Glenda, Phoebe's friend who a...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Denise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

3.0 out of 5 stars - Secret society of mean girls causing trouble -- but capable of murder?, July 3, 2011

This is a formulaic mystery involving a possible serial killer, a secret society of mean girls bent on causing damage, and several other sinister activities at Lyle College, located in a small town in Pennsylvania.

Phoebe Hall -- a 42-year-old disgraced reporter who left New York in the wake of a plagiarism accusation, is asked to fill in for a teacher on maternity leave at the behest of the c...more 3.0 out of 5 stars - Secret society of mean girls causing trouble -- but capable of murder?, July 3, 2011

This is a formulaic mystery involving a possible serial killer, a secret society of mean girls bent on causing damage, and several other sinister activities at Lyle College, located in a small town in Pennsylvania.

Phoebe Hall -- a 42-year-old disgraced reporter who left New York in the wake of a plagiarism accusation, is asked to fill in for a teacher on maternity leave at the behest of the college president, her former roommate and friend from boarding school, Glenda Johns. Phoebe is also healing from a recent romantic breakup and retreats to this small college to recover and wait until her reputation is repaired. Shortly after the fall term starts, a female student whom Phoebe talked with briefly on a walk in the rain across the quad, is found drowned. Was the dead girl a victim of a tragic accident or was she murdered? If so, who might be the killer? Because of rumors around campus of a secret and powerful women's sorority, and because of Phoebe's past experience of having been a target of such a group while in boarding school, Glenda asks her to look into this group -- known as The Sixes -- and to see what her investigative skills can uncover.

The rest of the narrative is fraught with predictable scenes and red herrings as Phoebe puts herself fully into the search for answers about the dead girl, the secret society, and other cases of missing persons that occurred over the previous two years. Are all of these deaths related? As she noses into details surrounding the events, she is targeted and harassed with home invasion and other warnings to back off the investigation. The death count rises the closer she gets to the truth. Although I thought I had figured out the entire 'whodunit' by the fourth chapter, I ended up being wrong. That's not to say that the conclusion is realistic or believable; just not what I had anticipated, and somewhat unsatisfactory. I did like that the main character, Phoebe Hall, was middle-aged.

This is an entertaining and mindless read -- perfect for passing time while on a plane, at the beach, or by a pool. It reminded me, at first, of another Gothic suspense novel that I read recently, The Raising: A Novel (P.S.), which I'd recommend if you like this type of suspenseful, secret girl society type of book.

Amazon vine program ARC.(less)

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Jan 11, 2012 Ruth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Phoebe Hall has made a career writing about celeberties. Her life comes crashing around her when she is accused of plagiarism. She had a researcher working with her and the researcher inadvertently put the research materials into Phoebe's folder with her own writing. A PR firm is doing damage control and her agent recommends that she lay low for a while. At the same time, her long term relationship falls apart. Luckily, Phoebe's best friend, Glenda has become a college president and is looking f...more

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Apr 01, 2012 comfort rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Poor Phoebe, she has a really rough time of it in this little psychological mystery.

The book skips from present day back to her school days and at first this was a little confusing, but once you get the timelines sorted it falls into place.

Phoebe a investigative journalist has recently been disgraced when some research she has outsourced is deemed to be plagiarism. She didn't bother to check the facts correctly. Luckily an old school friend is able to offer her a temp teaching position at the co...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

Full review, as always, will be on the blog sometime in the nearish or not so nearish future:
http://ashleysgotbookcitement.blogspo...

My Thoughts: Ehh. A bit of a disappointment for a mystery/thriller. This book was okay, but it didn't reach any levels of greatness. The writing was easy to follow and the cover was pretty but the story contained within was mediocre filler.
I really got annoyed with the cliffhanger endings at the end of EVERY chapter. I like to see chapters as possible breaks, but t...more Full review, as always, will be on the blog sometime in the nearish or not so nearish future:
http://ashleysgotbookcitement.blogspo...

My Thoughts: Ehh. A bit of a disappointment for a mystery/thriller. This book was okay, but it didn't reach any levels of greatness. The writing was easy to follow and the cover was pretty but the story contained within was mediocre filler.
I really got annoyed with the cliffhanger endings at the end of EVERY chapter. I like to see chapters as possible breaks, but this book decided those kinds of chapters just weren't exciting enough. Plus, they weren't even particularly good or needed cliffhangers. They were just always there and they ended up getting on my nerves.
The mystery was also sort of forced. It's like The Sixes were thrown in every paragraph. Anything that went wrong or was strange, the main character's mind automatically went to The Sixes. For example (slight scene spoiler) someone leaves apples in Phoebe's house and she calls her housekeeper to thank her. The housekeeper denies leaving the apples and Phoebe's mind automatically goes to The Sixes. It just seemed forced, unrealistic. The Sixes were the bad guys from the start, even though they hadn't done anything really bad yet.
My last annoyance with the story was that the main character Phoebe was kind of an idiot. She ran around in the book like a chicken with its head cut off. She perceived everything as a threat or attack on her. She was always the victim. And, she took much longer than it was necessary to solve the mystery. She also forgot to eat meals, so she would be achy, whiny, and have headaches. If the book were real, she would have been dead because of her stupid actions.
I wanted a nice thriller. Something to keep me in suspense with a nice mystery to keep me guessing. This novel was just mediocre. No great insights, fascinating characters, or genuinely puzzling mystery. Also there were a couple of typos which are never good to see in a finished, published novel. Just an average book for me, but that's just my opinion. Someone else could love this book.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5
Not too worked up about The Sixes.(less)

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Jan 10, 2013 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

While I was reading this...

I’m currently engrossed with The Sixes by Kate White, although I’m not sure why. It took me SEVERAL attempts to get into this book, always finding something else I’d rather read before I was 10 pages into the book. Although it has picked up the pace, it’s not my favorite.

Spoilers**

The premise of the story is that Phoebe is accused of plagiarizing portions of her latest celebrity tell all book… and escapes to a small college town and begins teaching while things quiet...more While I was reading this...

I’m currently engrossed with The Sixes by Kate White, although I’m not sure why. It took me SEVERAL attempts to get into this book, always finding something else I’d rather read before I was 10 pages into the book. Although it has picked up the pace, it’s not my favorite.

Spoilers**

The premise of the story is that Phoebe is accused of plagiarizing portions of her latest celebrity tell all book… and escapes to a small college town and begins teaching while things quiet down, thanks to a former friend (Glenda) of her’s from boarding school who just happens to run the college. Suddenly, a student turns up missing, then is found dead… a pattern emerges, and another body is discovered… then another.

A secret “mean girl” group that has been rumored to exist on campus is under suspicion. Meanwhile, Phoebe hooks up with Duncan… a fellow professor and widower whose wife who was dying of terminal cancer turned up dead (drowned) in their tub almost two years ago. He inherited quite a bit of dough from that.

Given that all the deaths (minus one) have all been drownings in the local river, White seems to want to push the reader to think Duncan is the killer. However, I think it’s a little TOO obvious, and suspect Glenda, or even the new head guard… although I am also starting to suspect the one “victim” that managed to not drown and get away…

Time will tell “who dun it,” and we’ll see if I am right!

Finished!!

I finally finished this book last night, and I must say that one of my guesses of "who dun it" was... well, you will have to read it and find out for yourself!

Overall, I gave this 3 stars, which is an "I like it." It was ok, by my standards. Not great. Not something I'd recommend, and probably not something I'll remember much about a month or two from now.

I think that Phoebe was portrayed as a kind of weak female character, and some of her actions made little to no sense, other than to move the story along. It was all rather unrealistic. It felt a little contrived. Nice cover art, though.(less)

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Aug 01, 2011 Jocelyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

A secret society of mean girls? A possible serial killer? A perfect beach read? Yes, yes and yes! Phoebe Hall, a writer of celebrity profiles, has been forced into seclusion because of a plagiarism scandal and is now teaching in a small town when a young woman drowns. Was it a tragic accident or murder? Phoebe decides to investigate the suspicious events surrounding the young girls death only to uncover secrets she could have never expected. Kate White, editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine, is the Ne...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Lindsay Heller rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, academia, mystery, secret-societies

I picked up this book because it has my favorite things in the plot. Murders, college settings, writers, and secret societies. What I was unaware of was the author. Perhaps it's just because I'm not a connoisseur of this sort of pulp fiction. The crime novels, thrillers, mysteries of the John Patterson ilk. It's not that I have a problem with them, really. I think they make excellent movies. There's just something in the quick writing and generic characters that bugs me. I'd never heard of Kate...more I picked up this book because it has my favorite things in the plot. Murders, college settings, writers, and secret societies. What I was unaware of was the author. Perhaps it's just because I'm not a connoisseur of this sort of pulp fiction. The crime novels, thrillers, mysteries of the John Patterson ilk. It's not that I have a problem with them, really. I think they make excellent movies. There's just something in the quick writing and generic characters that bugs me. I'd never heard of Kate White. Apparently she was the editor in chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, a fact loudly toted in her bio. I think, had I read that before I picked up this book, I might have had second thoughts. For me, that's not a selling point. But, read it did and even though this book was not great, it was pretty entertaining.

After a plagiarism scandal, disgraced celebrity biographer Phoebe Hall takes a job at a small Pennsylvania college, Lyle, which her best friend, Glenda, runs. The Manhattanite is bored nearly stiff in the small town until the body of nubile young co-ed Lily Mack is found floating in the river. Soon Glenda asks Phoebe to apply some of her investigative experience to finding out about a secret society of girls on campus, called the Sixes. How long they have existed is anyone's guess but when a hysterical student fled campus the year before babbling about the group the cat is let out of the bag. But Phoebe needs to find out more. Was Lily a member and is her death a result of their dangerous practices? What about the disappearance of her boyfriend, Trevor, the year before? Soon Phoebe is receiving threats in her home, a serial killer may be on the loose, and a new romance with psych professor Duncan Shaw may be in the air. But will Phoebe make it out of this investigation alive?

Yes, it sounds cheesy, and it was. I loved the secret society idea, but it would have been much better if it featured them more fully and left a lot of the lame subplots alone. Honestly, this might have been better if it ditched it's popular fiction format and went for a much more gritty plot from the point of view of the students. But, of course, that's not the book White was writing. Phoebe herself was completely one dimensional. She existed solely as the glamorous New Yorker with suede boots and a quick brain. She gets herself in countless absurd situations and misses so many glaringly obvious clues. I knew exactly what was going to happen from halfway through the book. But, is that White's fault or mine? She wrote a quick reading thriller that was probably geared towards the same demographic as the magazine she edited. If I had done any research I might have realized this was the case, but I didn't. This book wasn't really for me. But that's not to say it didn't have some merits. There were moments I felt real peril, and I definitely wanted to see if I was right in my guessing. The Sixes were interesting, though their outcome was lame, and the secret society that tortured Phoebe in boarding school, Fortuna, would have been interesting to know more about. This plot had potential but it wasn't nurtured well. It ended up typical when it could have been far more interesting. (less)

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Oct 13, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book started off slow but picked up about a third of the way through. I enjoyed White's other books, especially the Bailey Weggins series. I also found the premise to be especially interesting: a secret society of college women called The Sixes terrorizing campus. Phoebe Hall is a celebrity biographer who takes a teaching position at Lyle College in the wake of a plagarism scandal. The college president and Phoebe's old friend, Glenda, asks her to investigate rumors of the secret society ca...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review, read-aug-2011

My first Kate White book was Hush last year and I was hooked so I was thrilled when The Sixes arrived in my mailbox. Add that it has a plot line about secret societies and I couldn't wait to open this book. And it didn't disappoint. The Sixes had great suspense, secret societies and romance, it was the perfect book to keep me entertained over the weekend.

When Phoebe shows up on campus and people begin disappearing she uses her investigative reporting techniques as a favor to her friend Glenda to...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Melissa Armato rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wow! That is all I really have to say. I just finished this book, I am still piecing together how I feel about it. It's pretty much a typical Kate White novel and is very similar to the formula that Kate White used in the Bailey Weggins series. She of course throws in curves here in there so it isn't exactly the same. It definitely kept my attention I loved the story itself. I absolutely love Kate White's novels. I am just still trying to forge the pieces together and take in the novel all toget...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks-read, suspense-mystery-thriller, worth-rereading

I LOVE Kate White mysteries & this has to be one of her best! Reminded me alot of her Bailey Weggins novels (which pleases me to NO END as a devoted fan of Bailey Weggins!). Fun subject matter - female college society club gone bad PLUS a great Nosy Nellie (actually Phoebe in this case!) who just never knows when to stop!! Phoebe goes above and beyond her call of duty as she tries to uncover the purpose of The Sixes, getting herself into dangerous situations and getting more than her fair sh...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Sixes tells the story of Phoebe Hall as she attempts to adjust to her new life as a small town college professor and the mystery that she finds herself wrapped up in. Because young college coeds are dying and the only hint that the authorities at the college have is of a "secret society" that has been rumored to have been the cause of lots of trouble in the past. Little is known of this secret society and Phoebe sets out to find proof that it exists while trying to keep her past behind her.

T...more The Sixes tells the story of Phoebe Hall as she attempts to adjust to her new life as a small town college professor and the mystery that she finds herself wrapped up in. Because young college coeds are dying and the only hint that the authorities at the college have is of a "secret society" that has been rumored to have been the cause of lots of trouble in the past. Little is known of this secret society and Phoebe sets out to find proof that it exists while trying to keep her past behind her.

The Sixes is one of those books that you don't want to put down. The author creates a chilling atmosphere in a small town college campus where everything (and everyone) isn't what it seems. This creepy atmosphere was one of my favorite things about the story. There is a constant hint of danger throughout the book that kept me turning pages. The setting is in the fall/early winter and the descriptions of the weather tied into the story so nicely. It just all added up to maintain the sinister feeling that the author was creating. I loved the idea of a secret society that isn't really up to any good, and I felt that the author really did a good job of building on the hint of mystery that went along with "The Sixes". I kept wondering what they were going to do next and how they were involved with the deaths that had occurred. This novel was definitely a page turner and I just didn't want to put it down. The ending itself was a surprise that I didn't see coming. I was a bit disappointed though as I felt like the author did such a great job on the creepiness factor with The Sixes and then the ending was a bit of a letdown. Just not what I expected but I don't want to give away any spoilers so I'll leave it at that. All in all, a really solid read with atmosphere in spades. I've heard that this author has written other books and I'm anxious to check them out.

Bottom Line: A solid thriller that kept me on my toes throughout!

Disclosure: This was kindly sent to me for review by the publisher. Thanks so much!! (less)

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Aug 06, 2011 Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, books-to-review, suspense

reviewed for storeybookreviews.com

When I was asked to review this book I had this feeling that it would hook me from the first chapter and I wasn’t wrong. I belong to a sorority but The Sixes are nothing like a sorority and don’t cross them because they won’t forget it and will seek retaliation even if it is subtle! There are many characters thrown in to the mix and while you might think one person is involved in the happenings on campus and in town, you might be right and you might be wrong. Ka...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-on-blog, suspense-mystery

After public scrutiny and disgrace, author Phoebe Hall decided to accept a teaching position at a small town college where her good friend is the President of the school. After the surprising murder of a student, Phoebe begins investigating a secret society called the Sixes. Not liking the attention, the Sixes retaliate by playing dirty pranks on Phoebe. As things escalate, Phoebe can only wonder if mean pranks can turn into murder.

There is a lot going on in this novel, so many characters are su...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

I could see this being made into a low-budget action movie with B-list actors. Not terrible, but not something I would pay good money for unless my current choice for the big-screen was sold out. The main character was rather annoying, making terrible decisions left and right, which led to her being attacked and other people killed with abandon. Also, her obsession with people's outfits was extremely distracting. For that reason alone I wanted her gone. I wasn't surprised to learn that the autho...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Book Him Danno rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, books-sent-by-author-publisher-for

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a psychological thriller that kept me guessing throughout. It is about a secret society of “mean girls” who take feminism to an extreme. The main character Phoebe is an author who is taking a time out from writing after an unfortunate plagiarism scandal. She ends up teaching a writing course at Lyle College. Her past and present collide when she is asked to investigate the secret society of girls on campus. After a few pranks and then murders she realizes s...more

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About Kate White

Kate White is recognized internationally as not only the former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, the bestselling young women’s magazine in the world, but also the critically acclaimed author of both fiction and nonfiction books. Few high-profile editors have successfully balanced the rigors of overseeing a major magazine with a thriving and independent writing career.

It all began when Kate won Gla...more Kate White is recognized internationally as not only the former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, the bestselling young women’s magazine in the world, but also the critically acclaimed author of both fiction and nonfiction books. Few high-profile editors have successfully balanced the rigors of overseeing a major magazine with a thriving and independent writing career.

It all began when Kate won Glamour magazine’s Top Ten College Women contest and appeared on the cover. She earned a position at the magazine and quickly rose from editorial assistant to feature writer and columnist. After holding key jobs at several national magazines, she became an editor-in-chief, running four magazines (including Redbook) before taking the helm at Cosmopolitan in 1998. In the 13 years she’s been at Cosmo, guaranteed circulation has grown by 700,000. She also oversees Cosmo Books, Cosmopolitan.com, and the apps Cosmo produces.

Drawing on experiences from her successful career, Kate published the bestselling career bible, Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead… but Gutsy Girls Do. Her next career book, I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: Success Secrets Every Gutsy Girl Should Know, was published in Fall 2012.

Kate also has a passion for writing fiction. Penning her first novel, If Looks Could Kill, in 2002—which was selected as Live With Regis and Kelly’s first Reading With Ripa book-club pick and shot to number one on Amazon—Kate introduced her feisty and irreverent sleuth, Bailey Weggins. Bailey went on to solve more grisly murders and entertain readers in A Body to Die For (2003), Til Death Do Us Part (2004), Over Her Dead Body (2005), and then again in Lethally Blond (2007), all New York Times bestsellers. The most recent Bailey Weggins mystery, So Pretty It Hurts, was published March 2012.
Kate’s first stand-alone thriller, Hush, was published by HarperCollins in March 2010 and became a New York Times bestseller. Her next thriller, The Sixes, published in 2012, is the story of Phoebe Hall, who takes a job teaching at a college and discovers a secret society on campus that may be responsible for several grisly murders.

Kate’s writer’s eye has been described by The New York Times as “scathingly observant,” capturing “the mood…with a verisimilitude some of her peers might recognize.” The Los Angeles Times says of Kate’s work: “It’s like devouring a box of chocolates!”

Through her magazine work and her books, Kate White has influenced at least two generations of women with her unique honesty, passion, and imagination. She is the winner of the Matrix Award for Outstanding Achievement in Communication as well as the Woodhall Institute Award for Ethical Leadership.

Kate is married with two children.(less)

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Books by Kate White

If Looks Could Kill (Bailey Weggins Mystery #1)

A Body to Die For (Bailey Weggins Mystery #2)

'Til Death Do Us Part (Bailey Weggins, #3)

Over Her Dead Body (Bailey Weggins Mystery #4)

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