Every con starts with a story

When your life depends on deception, who are you without it?

Start the series

about my books
  • Kirkus Reviews

    Summer creates a standout character in Julep. She lies and cheats with so much confidence and skill that readers will cheer her on, but she also adheres to her own strict moral code. . . . A memorable debut; here's hoping for a lot more from Summer."

  • Publishers Weekly

    Entertaining.

  • The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

    Well-paced, well-plotted.

  • April Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Body in the Woods

    This book has it all: homework and hit men, prom drama and silencers.

  • Kirkus Reviews

    The action moves as quickly and crisply as the dialogue... A clever romp that keeps readers guessing.

  • Jennifer Longo, award-winning author of What I Carry

    I would trust Julep Dupree with my life, Dani Ivanov with my heart--and Mary Elizabeth Summer with my every late-night can't-stop-reading session. An intelligent, fierce heroine of strength and loyal heart who refuses to suffer fools lightly? Yes, please.

  • Lee Kelly, author of City of Savages and The Antiquity Affair

    An irresistible mix of intrigue, high stakes, and self-discovery.

  • VOYA Magazine

    An engaging, fast-paced read.

  • Emily Lloyd-Jones, Sunday Times bestselling author

    A fast-paced read that is almost criminally addictive!

  • teenVogue.com

    Fresh plot lines and unexpected twists along the way.

  • Diana Urban, bestselling author of All Your Twisted Secrets

    Julep’s voice leaps off the page — she’s witty, snarky, and downright hilarious.

  • Delta High School Library

    A fun mystery that’s also full of danger and intensity, 5 stars!

Freebie!

Freebie!

Claim your freedom,
one quarter-mile at a time.

The Fast & The Furious meets Nancy Drew

When undocumented teen mechanic and street racer Leta Velasquez loses her friend in a car explosion, she won't rest until she catches the murderer.

Upper YA; second-chance romance; amateur sleuth; LGBTQ+ side-character romance; Alice in Wonderland references; gangs but no violence (except for the murderer); Robin Hood vibes; morally gray but still relatable characters; police are useless except when they're not; Underground Railroad for the modern era; the good guys are the bad guys and the bad guys are the good guys.

“Normal is not a thing I’m ever going to be, no matter how hard I try to convince myself otherwise.”

Julep Dupree, Trust Me, I'm Trouble

coming soon!

Julep may have recovered some of her grifter mojo, but it’s two months on now, and her search for Dani has gone exactly nowhere. She’s still looking, but as the days wear on, she’s beginning to think Dani doesn’t want to be found.

Then she gets a call from a mysterious source, who tells her that the information she desperately needs to both locate Dani and unlock the blue-fairy flash drive can be found at the Chinese consulate. What the caller fails to mention is that the same information will drop Julep and her crew into a conspiracy that threatens the entire city of Chicago.

Will Julep be able to outsmart old enemies, stay out of the crosshairs of new ones, and still find Dani? Or is she in way over her head?

Meet the Author

MARY ELIZABETH SUMMER (she/her 🏳️‍🌈) likes to poke at dark places until the light spills out, which is why her characters are constantly glaring at her and applying adhesive bandages. She is currently contributing to the delinquency of minors by writing books about a teen con artist who solves mysteries by doing crime.

She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her daughter and their small menagerie of pets.

Learn more

Contact Me

Got questions? Comments? Nefarious schemes you want to run past Julep? Toss ‘em my way through the contact form! I love to hear from readers, other writers, and (of course) unscrupulous ne’er-do-wells with an unfortunate soft spot or two.

And if you also happen to be a professional sort of book person, I should tell you that I’m always game for book signings, conventions, virtual workshops, and school visits. Hit me up via the contact form!

14925 SW Barrows Rd., Ste 109 #134
Beaverton, OR 97007
United States