06/15/2020
More interested in astronomy than the silver screen in 1938, 17-year-old Kate Hildebrand is nevertheless packed off to Hollywood to live with her grandfather, Oliver Banks, having no idea that the legendary silent film star is a recluse in dire financial straits. Surrounded at his mansion by her grandfather’s young male boarders—all aspiring actors—and neighbor to a glamorous singer and her ingénue daughter, Kate soon finds herself enmeshed in a film production. After one of the boarders is murdered, the clever teen dons her sleuthing cap, but doing so means facing tragic family memories, including her parents’ deaths and her own brush with infamy. Black (Girl at the Grave) enlivens the novel, set in Tinseltown’s Golden Age, with background about film production and history, while snappy dialogue focuses on gender imbalances found in 1930s Hollywood (“that, my friend, is why all the movies are stereotyped claptrap”). Entertainingly conveying the glitz of Kate’s Hollywood life and romantic interests, this breezy whodunit is a fun historical escape with satisfactory twists. Ages 13–up. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary. (Aug.)
A Whitney Awards Finalist
A Finalist for the AML Young Adult Novel Award
"Chasing Starlight dazzles with richly drawn characters, a breathtaking mystery, and a vivid 1930s Hollywood setting. Black masterfully evokes the glamour and darkness of a mesmerizing era steeped in secrets, lies, and dreams." —Cat Winters author of The Raven's Tale
"Miss Fisher meets Tinseltown in this addictive mystery full of Old Hollywood glamour and slow-burn secrets. Chasing Starlight is the journey of aspiring-astronomer-turned-reluctant-sleuth Kate as she works not only to solve a murder but find her place in the world after a tumultuous past. Come for the gossipy glam of old Hollywood; stay for a cast of charmingly quirky characters and a mystery that will have you guessing until the end." —McKelle George, author of Speak Easy, Speak Love
"Chasing Starlight is a mystery as alluring as old Hollywood itself—and fun! Teri Bailey Black’s story has a historical-yet-modern feel, and the setting is so creative and cinematic you’ll feel as if you’re sitting on a film set. With a cast of dream-chasers who showcase both the glamour and the grit, Chasing Starlight is delightful from the first scene to the last." —Jodie Lynn Zdrok, author of Spectacle
“Black delivers an atmospheric mystery with cinematic flair that’s chock full of period detail, highlighting women’s roles in front of, and behind, the camera during Hollywood’s golden age. A captivating crowd pleaser.” —Kirkus Reviews
“This complex tale featuring blossoming romance, an edge-of-your-seat murder, and a host of characters to love and hate is recommended for collections where mysteries are popular.” —School Library Journal
“Entertainingly conveying the glitz of Kate’s Hollywood life and romantic interests, this breezy whodunit is a fun historical escape with satisfactory twists.” —Publishers Weekly
“A thrillingly romantic dive into Old Hollywood that will appeal to cinema and history buffs alike.” —Booklist
“A fast-paced crime story that nods knowingly at cinematic tropes even as it employs them, and it tugs at the heartstrings just the same.” —BookPage
“Hand this to readers who love mystery, romance, and the golden age of Hollywood filmmaking.” —School Library Connection (recommended)
Praise for Girl at the Grave
Winner of the 2019 Thriller Award for Best Young Adult Novel
“With its vibrant, atmospheric setting and lush and captivating prose, Girl at the Grave is in fact, a searing love story which kept me swooning page after page. Romantic tension between Valentine and Rowan sizzles, igniting a gothic love story that will burn in readers hearts, and minds, long after reading.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Kerri Maniscalco
“Girl at the Grave kept me up late at night with its non-stop secrets, twists, and scandals. An entertaining homage to classic Gothic romances that will keep readers guessing until the very last chapter.”—Cat Winters, Morris-nominated author of Odd & True
“While the plot transpires with unforeseen turns, the romantic tension Black crafts between Valentine and Rowan pushes the pace, holding readers’ attention until the last page. Purchase where there are avid fans of gothic romance, historical fiction, and mystery.”—School Library Journal
“This gothic murder mystery will be a breath of fresh air for historical fiction buffs. Resourceful Valentine anchors this atmospheric debut, which marks Black as a writer to watch.”—Booklist
04/10/2020
Gr 9 Up—This Hollywood murder mystery set in the 1930s will have readers guessing until the end. Kate Hildebrand, 17, unwillingly moves in with her estranged grandfather, Ollie, an old-school movie star. His mansion is filled with so-called "unsavory boarders," men who are down on their luck but were befriended by Ollie. An opportunity arises that gives Kate a way out, but she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Black's leisurely paced novel allows readers to imagine and savor the descriptive qualities of not only the locale but of the characters as well. The atmospheric setting enriches every scene and movement, and every character, including secondary ones, are fleshed out and have their own interesting back stories. In fact, these characters affect Kate's emotional growth, romantic interests, and personal development. Black also addresses the stereotypes of the era. VERDICT This complex tale featuring blossoming romance, an edge-of-your-seat murder, and a host of characters to love and hate is recommended for collections where mysteries are popular.—Kharissa Kenner, Bank Street School for Children, New York
2020-04-05
In 1938 Hollywood, an aspiring astronomer with a tragic past finds herself at the center of a murder mystery.
Kate Hildebrand was only 13 when a highly publicized crime took her parents’ lives, leaving her in the care of her Aunt Lorna. After her aunt’s marriage to a wealthy mining magnate, Kate, now 17, is shipped off to live with her eccentric grandfather Oliver Banks, a once-celebrated silent movie star who shares his crumbling, cluttered Pasadena mansion with a handful of boarders, all down-and-out aspiring actors. It’s not an ideal arrangement, but Kate’s plan to make a quick exit is thwarted when she meets Ollie’s neighbors: 15-year-old film ingénue Bonnie Fairchild and her glamorous mother, Dorothy. In short order, Kate snags a job as a production assistant on Bonnie’s new film and finds herself undeniably attracted to the dashing Hugo Quick, one of her new housemates. When Kate discovers another housemate dead in Ollie’s kitchen, Kate and Hugo team up to find a killer. But everyone seems to be hiding secrets, including Kate. Black delivers an atmospheric mystery with cinematic flair that’s chock full of period detail, highlighting women’s roles in front of, and behind, the camera during Hollywood’s golden age. And the brainy Kate, determined to control her own destiny, is no wilting flower. Most characters are assumed white, but there are two supporting characters of color.
A captivating crowd pleaser. (Mystery. 13-18)
