THE ICE CREAM CON

Scottish teens and vicious gangsters mix together deliciously in this tasty treat from overseas. Jake Drake’s just about had enough when he’s mugged twice in one day for his grandmother’s grocery money. Lochrannoch Estates seethes with criminal elements and none is quite as criminal as resident kingpin Franco Cortesi. When Jake suffers a humiliation he can’t forget, he decides to create his very own criminal mastermind: Big Baresi. With the help of his three best friends, Jake sets about convincing everyone of Baresi’s existence. Unfortunately his plan is a little too effective; now rival gangs and the police are out to kill Baresi, and only a con involving an ice-cream truck and some stolen diamonds will get Jake out of this sticky mess. Though a bit chunky in its plotting, with an overreliance on potty humor (the farting grandmother wears out her welcome pretty quickly), this is still a rollicking good time, filled with high-speed chases, a cinematic sensibility and some pretty clever conning to boot. Enjoyable fare from start to finish. (Fiction. 11 & up)