A dramatic thriller featuring a wily, young protagonist who tackles crime with the ingenuity of a seasoned professional.
Teenage investigator Fiona Frost returns to help stop a serial killer causing vehicular accidents across the United States in Blossman’s (Fiona Frost: Shillingstone Witch, 2015, etc.) YA novel.
Fiona will soon be leaving behind her renowned forensic training program for an internship at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Agent Richard Jonas, however, has the interns forgo the 30-day program so that they can assist in catching the Blood Doll Killer, who’s been dropping blood-filled porcelain dolls from bridges onto passing cars with fatal results. Things are off to a shaky start when wealthy Remy Sinclair, who’d previously “stalked and manipulated” Fiona, joins the internship, along with Fiona’s boyfriend, Wolfe Nero, and best friend, Maddie Christie. As the killer’s murderous efforts continue in various cities, Jonas surprises the four teenagers by taking them into the field. Fiona eventually suspects a link between the Blood Doll Killer and the Bleak Society, a group that’s been hijacking TV networks and asserting a mission to bring criminals to justice. Corresponding to this is her speculation that the accidents aren’t as random as they appear. As the mystery slowly unravels, Fiona remains on call regarding another threat: a potentially deliberate salmonella outbreak. Along the way, she juggles the investigation with her personal life; Wolfe and Maddie are both miffed that she readily forgives the apologetic Remy for his past behavior. But such troubles have to wait when the killer calls Fiona to let her know she’s scheduled to die next. Blossman’s novel is a consummate mix of mystery and drama. Although narrator Fiona persistently notes Wolfe’s handsomeness, their endearing romance never overwhelms the investigation plot. However, the teens mostly just proffer theories, and the FBI’s investigation would likely have been much the same without them. The possibility of supernatural elements, though, shows Fiona’s flexibility, as she sets aside her skepticism in light of peculiar evidence. It also leads to a convoluted pile of suspects and murder scenarios that are fortunately cleared up by the time the story finds a resolution. Blossman’s prose is intelligent and refined, but it’s not above a hilarious bit in which Fiona and Wolfe endure a flatulent taxi driver.
A dramatic thriller featuring a wily, young protagonist who tackles crime with the ingenuity of a seasoned professional.Pub Date: April 12, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9965248-1-0
Page Count: 290
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 18, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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