Publishers Weekly
★ 05/04/2015
Jangling suspense juxtaposed with cozy details of family life keeps thriller master Cooney’s latest zooming along. While spending the summer at their family’s home on the Connecticut River, easy-going 15-year-old Miranda Allerdon and her driven, med-school-bound sister, Lander, witness what appears to be a freak water-skiing accident. Miranda is one of the few bystanders to see that the boy driving the motorboat seemed to intentionally maneuver the water-skier he was towing in front of a giant barge. Ignoring Miranda’s suspicions, Lander is smitten with the motorboat driver and begins dating him. Miranda’s talents get a chance to shine when another apparent accident, chillingly teased in the opening pages of the novel, thrusts Lander outside the boundaries of her carefully planned life. An unexpected romance for Miranda provides a sweet counterpoint to the novel’s knife-edge mayhem. Viewed in isolation, some of the plot twists edge toward the incredible, but Cooney’s knack for distinctive characterizations grounds the story firmly in the familiar world, while the third-person narration strikes an enticing balance between intimacy and cool detachment. Ages 12–up. (July)
From the Publisher
"Jangling suspense juxtaposed with cozy details of family life keeps thriller master Cooney’s latest zooming along." — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Cleverly plotted . . . rooted in suspense . . . fully satisfying. Mystery fans will be delighted."— Booklist
"Full of twists and turns . . . has all the elements that keep young mystery lovers coming back for more."— School Library Journal
"No one writes suspense like Cooney. Haunting, harrowing . . . hard to put down."— Kirkus Reviews
"Cooney has hit it out of the ballpark yet again. A must read . . ."—VOYA
School Library Journal
04/01/2015
Gr 7–10—Miranda and Lander Allerdon have a deeply rooted sibling rivalry. Miranda, the youngest, is a dreamer who sleeps in late and choose new hobbies on a whim. Lander, on the other hand, is overachieving, on her way to medical school and, as a result, has a slight superiority complex. They are spending the summer with their parents at their small, rustic cabin on the Connecticut River. When Lander is unexpectedly arrested on homicide and drug possession charges, Miranda instantly suspects Lander's new boyfriend, who has conveniently disappeared after the arrest. While Lander sits in jail and Miranda agonizes from the cabin, they not only obsess over who the real murderer might be, but also meditate on their relationship. The story is told from both sisters' perspectives, allowing readers to piece together the murder mystery from each viewpoint. Although this juxtaposition is engaging, the characters ultimately act predictably and parts of the story do not hold water. However, the plot is full of twists and turns, making it a fun and quick pick, especially for reluctant readers. VERDICT Although this title follows the predictable formula commonly found in Cooney's thrillers, it also has all of the elements that keep young mystery lovers coming back for more.—Jaclyn Anderson, Madison County Library System, MS
Kirkus Reviews
2015-03-17
Slowly and methodically, the tale unfolds of how two sisters spending the summer at their family cottage on the shore of the Connecticut River find themselves at the center of a murder investigation. Fifteen-year-old Miranda has always walked in the shadow of her older sister, rising med student Lander, yet it is Miranda who shines here, as she alone musters the courage and determination to do what it takes to save her family. Interestingly, the story is told from two perspectives, both those of close third-person narrators. This clever technique allows just enough distance between story and readers to maintain the gauzy, unsettling haze that keeps the truth just out of sight. Unfortunately, the cast of characters feels slightly unbalanced, particularly when it comes to Miranda's parents and other secondary characters, who are surprisingly underdeveloped given their ultimate roles. If readers can suspend disbelief just long enough to believe that a young teen like Miranda would be left on her own under such dangerous circumstances, they won't regret going along for the ride. No one writes suspense like Cooney, and this novel will ensnare readers from Page 1 and keep them turning the pages until they, like the nameless young woman at the center of the opening chapter, know for certain who is dead and who is the killer. Haunting, harrowing, and hard to put down. (Mystery. 13 & up)