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TROUBLE MAKES A COMEBACK by Stephanie Tromly

TROUBLE MAKES A COMEBACK

From the Trouble is a Friend of Mine series, volume 2

by Stephanie Tromly

Pub Date: Nov. 22nd, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-525-42841-1
Publisher: Kathy Dawson/Penguin

Trouble returns to Zoe’s world.

The absurdly smart teen detective Digby left town months ago, and Zoe has moved on from the adventure they had and the confusing kiss they shared. She’s been preparing for the SATs, getting in with the popular crowd, and dating an athletic quarterback who is the exact opposite of Digby in every way. But of course, Digby comes back to town like a tornado, sweeping Zoe up in another mystery and leaving everything else in her life up in the air. The author bounces her characters off one another in spectacular ways, crafting drama, suspense, love, and exasperation with ease. The first installment in this series owed a great debt to Veronica Mars and Sherlock, but here the characters come in to their own, darting in and out of mischief and mayhem at dizzying speeds and trading verbal jabs along the way. The only real downside to all the fun is the mystery, which isn’t very involving. When the characters are so rich and the dialogue is so much fun, anything that doesn’t spin out of those elements feels a bit bothersome. The mystery adds up however, and the action scenes are crisp and clean. The author signals a third book, and readers will surely want to join Digby and Zoe for another round. Though ethnicity goes largely unmentioned, Zoe’s cover illustration points to Asian heritage.

An effective and largely entertaining romp.

(Mystery. 14-17)