This series presents readers with nice, tidy mysteries and work as an excellent introduction to the genre, besides being...
Another easy-reading mystery from McClintock.
Robyn reluctantly agrees to volunteer at a homeless shelter, where a mentally disabled man knocks her down. Excluded from the shelter for a time as punishment, the man freezes to death on the streets. Feeling guilty, Robyn decides to try to discover who he was. She enlists friends to interview people in the neighborhood and other shelter residents, uncovering clues. Meanwhile, a sinister-looking man chases her, and shortly thereafter, someone mugs her, taking her best evidence. She continues following clues, however, until she cracks the case, learning that the homeless man didn’t start out that way. McClintock uses a just-the-facts-ma’am style that fits the mystery genre and keeps the text uncomplicated for reluctant readers. She relies on plenty of happy coincidences, such as meeting exactly the right people at just the right time to uncover major clues. Robyn also enjoys a bit of romance and copes with a delicate family situation with her divorced parents. She comes across as an attractive character, good in school and compassionate toward all. Yet she also demonstrates a toughness and determination that allow her to solve the case. This title publishes simultaneously with Book 5, Shadow of Doubt.
This series presents readers with nice, tidy mysteries and work as an excellent introduction to the genre, besides being plenty of fun. (Mystery. 11-16)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7613-9396-2
Page Count: 232
Publisher: Darby Creek
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
An atmospheric and entertaining thriller perfect for snowy night chills.
A group of teens stranded in a snowstorm discovers a murderer in their midst.
While traveling on the highway to a state theater competition, Nell and her friends Min, Raven, Adam, and Jermaine are caught in a dangerous blizzard. Their teacher, Mrs. McElroy, who is driving the minivan, decides to stop for the night at the run-down and shady-looking Travel Inn and Out. The motel is labyrinthine and spooky, with dingy corridors and walls adorned with moldering kitsch. Nell and the gang meet another group of kids who are also stranded by the storm, making fast friends. A game of Two Truths and a Lie starts out flirty and fun but devolves into something more sinister when one slip of paper reads “I like to watch people die,” and “I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve killed.” The snow falls and the winds howl, and soon power and cell service are lost, cutting off the motel patrons from the outside world. As the first victim is discovered and the body count begins to grow, the terror becomes palpable. Everyone at the motel seems to have an insidious secret: Will Nell be able to uncover the killer before they strike again? An homage to Agatha Christie, Henry’s locked-room mystery is tautly plotted, with quick-moving nail-biting chapters, relatable characters, and a deftly wrought setting that paradoxically manages to feel both claustrophobic and sprawling. Nell is White; there is diversity among the secondary characters.
An atmospheric and entertaining thriller perfect for snowy night chills. (Mystery. 12-16)Pub Date: May 24, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-32333-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
A twisty and entertaining magic-filled mystery that mirrors real-life issues.
A teen’s sense of justice leads her into dark and unexpected places.
Mary Elizabeth lives in the Scar with her Aunt Gia, living life to the fullest with her boyfriend, James; his Neverland boys; and her best friend, Ursula. While Mary balances attending school at Monarch High; partying at Wonderland, a local club for minors; and her internship with the police department that solved her parents’ murders, tensions rise between Legacy, the Scar’s original inhabitants who have a magical lineage, and Narrows, privileged incomers without magic. When the mysterious Mad Hatter strikes, leaving grisly presents for the police, and a wealthy Legacy student disappears, the police chief puts Mary and a young officer on the case in search of answers and justice. The Scar is a complex and realistic setting where Legacy struggle with collective trauma, social unrest, and inequity while rich Narrows families are buying up and building on Legacy land that holds spiritual significance and reshaping the high school to be less inclusive. Themes discussed include politics after the Death of Magic and the co-opting of Legacy culture by Narrows as well as the importance of chosen family. The appearance of familiar characters will draw readers into this story that delves into society’s darkness. Mary is pale-skinned with red hair; ethnic diversity in the cast does not correspond with Legacy versus Narrows status.
A twisty and entertaining magic-filled mystery that mirrors real-life issues. (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-368-04938-2
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
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