Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 6-8. It sounds like the plot of a television show, but Hahn's exciting murder mystery has a depth that belies its premise. Matt, a hesitant, overweight boy, goes along when his aggressive friend, Parker Pettengill, wants to camp out at Indian Creek. Never in their wildest dreams do the boys imagine they'll find a body floating face down in the water. Almost as incredible to the duo as the murder is their sighting of George Evans, the owner of the local antique store where Parker's attractive mother, Pam, works. Parker has it in for George, who is dating Pam; and while the police clear George of any involvement in the crime, Parker is not so sure he's innocent. A late night visit to the antique store proves Parker right; both George and Pam are involved in smuggling cocaine in the antique dolls Pam restores. Although the violence is not explicit, there's plenty of tension as the boys are tracked by George and his partner, a ruthless character who is threatening to kill Pam and the boys. Though readers will respond viscerally to the action, what sets the book apart are Hahn's insightful character sketches, especially her portrayal of Matt, whose first-person musings will both entertain and give pause. --Ilene Cooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Matt discovers a corpse and is convinced that his mother's boyfriend is somehow involved; in PW 's words, ``A combination of crackling language and plenty of suspense, this fast-paced yarn is likely to appeal to even the most reluctant readers.'' Ages 8-12. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-7 --Parker and Matt decide to camp out one last time before the weather turns too cold--and stumble upon a dead man. Parker swears he saw George Evans (his widowed mother's boyfriend and his least favorite person) at the scene of the crime. So begins a bumpy, peril-laden adventure. The boys spy out a cocaine ring in which Parker's mother and George are involved; a thug kidnaps everyone. Rescue comes when Parker's dog corners the thug and Matt's little sister pushes a doll carriage with a cocaine-packed doll through a Halloween parade into the police station. There's more than enough action, and Hahn's effortless mastery of kids' dialogue makes this an easy read. But there are illogical gaps: Why is Parker's mother, previously loving, so remote? How likely is it that 12-year-olds go camping alone? Why is it that Matt's flagging self-image shows little repair after such heroics? At the conclusion, when all of the drug traffickers are apprehended and Parker's mother is hospitalized and awaiting charges, Matt assures Parker: ``Whatever happens, my mom says you're staying with us.'' Readers will find this less than reassuring. With the abundance of good juvenile who-done-its available, this one is dead in the water. --Carolyn Noah, Worcester Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Twelve-year-old Matt and his best friend, Parker, find a body in a creek while camping out in the woods. The story, involving a case of cocaine trafficking, is full of fast-moving action; the main characters are well drawn. From HORN BOOK 1990, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Camping out near their suburban homes, Matt and his best friend Parker happen on a body floating in a creek and promptly (and correctly) link it to George Evans--Parker's mother's employer and close friend--whom they happen to spot immediately afterward. The outcome here is never in much doubt, but Hahn--whose other perceptive, suspenseful novels include Following the Mystery Man (1988) and The Doll in the Garden (1989)--raises this above formula by the believable responses of her characters to their perilous situation, and by the sobering realism of having Parker's mother involved in the drug trafficking that led to the crime. Meanwhile, readers will be caught by the adventure: after telling the police, the boys do some sleuthing on their own, have a number of hairbreadth escapes from Evans and his unsavory partner in crime, and complete a neat series of clever entrapments and escapes by luring one culprit into a ""heffalump trap"" that they had constructed earlier. Good, well-constructed entertainment. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
