JJ SHARPLE’S MYSTERIES

Teens vow to prove themselves by solving a murder mystery in Hall’s lighthearted YA series starter.

Seventeen-year-old Josephine Jane “JJ” Sharple has spent her life in the foster care system in Saint Mary Mack, Rhode Island. Her junior year of high school kicks off with two new friends: Butterfly “BooBoo” Buchanan and Gigi Reynoso. One day, while the three are hanging out in BooBoo’s convertible, they witness a low-flying plane—and then a dead body hitting the ground. JJ first checks to see if the man is alive and in need of help. When it’s clear that he’s dead, JJ is eager to investigate his likely murder with her two friends, seeing it as an “opportunity to actually matter.” They start by taking pictures with their phones and identifying the man as Morton Stubbs; he’d worked at Chango Technologies, which Bobo describes as a “really out-there future tech company.” They track down the plane at a local airport, which leads to JJ fleeing “muscly guys” who don’t appreciate her nosing around. The friends have local connections, though: JJ, for one, is close with Officer Roscoe, who saved her when she overdosed (she’s been sober for the last year). Similarly, BooBoo’s father is a wealthy investor and may be able to score his daughter an internship with Chango, where she can stealthily dig up clues like a “superspy.” However, when evidence points to suspects in their small town, JJ, BooBoo, and Gigi’s bigger concern may be whether they can keep themselves safe from a potential killer.

Hall’s novel doesn’t take itself too seriously; the girls often playfully bicker and even text one another when they’re in the same room. There are also delightful running gags, such as BooBoo and Gigi mispronouncing such words as executive(“He’s the Chief Executioner,” BooBoo confidently says). The story, however, does tackle serious issues while also offering first-rate character development. For starters, JJ truly cares about the victim; she never knew her biological parents and lived with numerous foster families, so she feels abandoned and alone—not unlike poor Morton. BooBoo suffers from anxiety, bad asthma, and food allergies; she’s even allergic to most makeup. The best parts of the novel involve the amateur sleuths mingling with an unforgettable secondary cast, including Gigi’s charming uncle Big Frederico, who owns a food truck; Lucinda, the Buchanans’ housekeeper who mothers BooBoo; and Pierre, the French exchange student staying at Gigi’s place. Each of the friends takes the narrative reins at various points, showcasing their three distinct voices. Their dialogue scenes also pop, and JJ’s descriptions, in particular, are spirited: “We drag ourselves to the insanely large room, which is impossibly warm and inviting, as if the ancient Romans moved to an Alaskan log cabin.” Sadly, the murder mystery itself barely registers. It would have been a treat to watch the friends hone their investigative skills, but they tend to stumble onto clues by sheer coincidence or dumb luck. Still, the young sleuths, who surprise even themselves with their abilities, will surely carry a series.

Well-developed teen characters energize this laid-back whodunit.