Scarlett Undercover

by Jennifer Latham

Overview

Meet Scarlett, a smart, sarcastic fifteen-year-old, ready to take on crime in her hometown. When Scarlett agrees to investigate a local boy's suicide, she figures she's in for an easy case and a quick buck. But it doesn't take long for suicide to start looking a lot like murder.
As Scarlett finds herself deep in a world of cults, curses, and the seemingly supernatural, she discovers that her own family secrets may have more to do with the situation than she thinks...and that cracking the case could lead to solving her father's murder.
Jennifer Latham delivers a compelling story and a character to remember in this one-of-a-kind debut novel.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316283892
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/19/2015
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Jennifer Latham is an army brat with a soft spot for kids, books, and poorly behaved dogs. She's the author of Scarlett Undercover and lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her husband and two daughters.

Editorial Reviews

04/06/2015
After graduating high school two years early, Scarlett has been putting her troublemaking talents to use as a detective for kids and teens who have been ignored by the police. Nine-year-old Gemma enlists Scarlett to figure out why her older brother is acting oddly—and whether he had anything to do with his best friend’s suicide. The case unearths an entire supernatural world, one whose long history ties into Scarlett’s heritage, the Islam she no longer believes in, and the unsolved murder of her father. Now Scarlett has to take on an ancient task passed down through generations with only her friends and her wits to rely on. Debut novelist Latham’s noir-flavored narrative is a lot of fun (“In my business, smug and lazy got you into trouble. And sometimes they even got you dead”), though the voice can feel young for Scarlett’s 16 years. While the detective tropes occasionally seem at odds with the book’s fantasy elements, Scarlett’s unflinching curiosity creates a sense of adventure that offsets any rough patches in the storytelling. Ages 12–up. Agent: Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency. (May)

Publishers Weekly

* "This whip-smart, determined, black Muslim heroine brings a fresh hard-boiled tone to the field of teen mysteries."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Scarlett is tough and fiercely independent...The supernatural mystery is engaging and the Muslim American teenage sleuth will be a welcome addition to YA shelves...An heir apparent to Veronica Mars."—SLJ

"Latham's noir-flavored narrative is a lot of fun."—Publishers Weekly

"A delightful, unique blend of hardboiled detective story and Middle Eastern folklore...The action and suspense, as well as the engaging detective at its core, make this a worthy read."—Booklist

"Why didn't they have splendidly thoughtful and executed books for young adults when I was one myself? Jennifer Latham touches a deep pulse of teenage angst, introduces a grandly original P.I. heroine, and taps a yet-deeper pulse of 2015 America. Embracing a unique debut novel."—James Ellroy, bestselling author of L.A. Confidential and Perfidia

"Scarlett Undercover is a unique mystery, drawing readers into an underworld full of jinn and ancient family secrets. With its capable, relatable heroine, a twisting plot, and a cast of diverse characters, Latham's tale will keep you on your toes, turning pages long into the night."—Ryan Graudin, author of The Walled City

"Witty and suspenseful, Scarlett Undercover is an inventive mystery steeped in Islamic tradition, starring a hard-boiled heroine with a heart."—Sheba Karim, author of Skunk Girl

"One part snarky Veronica Mars in its noir-meets-adolescence setup and one part levelheaded Da Vinci Code with its religious symbolism-tinged quest."—The Horn Book

A Junior Library Guild selection
A Kirkus Best YA Book of 2015

From the Publisher

02/01/2015
Gr 6–10—Sixteen-year-old Scarlett is a Sam Spade-talking, fedora-wearing Muslim American who runs her own detective agency in the gritty city of Las Almas. Scarlett's usual cases involve adultery and insurance fraud until a 10-year-old girl hires her to investigate a suicide. The minute the teen takes the case, she is tailed by two strange girls with gold circles in their eyes. Someone breaks into her apartment and steals a family heirloom. Even her closest friends start acting like the world is ending. Scarlett quickly discovers that her case isn't just about a suicide, but rather an ancient war between genies and the descendants of King Solomon. There is a relic that could tip the balance of power. Scarlett is tough and fiercely independent. While her older sister takes comfort in religion, the protagonist finds solace in her father's old copy of One Thousand and One Nights. Unfortunately, the novel suffers from its heavy hard-boiled lingo which, in its modern setting, becomes a distraction from the characterization. Despite this, the supernatural mystery is engaging and the Muslim American teenage sleuth will be a welcome addition to YA shelves. VERDICT A fun, if flawed, whodunit with a diverse protagonist who is an heir apparent to Veronica Mars.—Kimberly Garnick Giarratano, Rockaway Township Public Library, NJ

School Library Journal

★ 2015-02-16
A 16-year-old gumshoe's new case reveals ancient—perhaps magical—family secrets.Intrepid sleuth Scarlett has tested out of the last years of high school, founding a detective agency instead of going to college. Ever since the deaths of her Egyptian father and Sudanese mother, Scarlett's insisted on taking care of herself. Her older sister, a doctor, is too busy to spend much time at home, so Scarlett is proudly independent. When she takes a case from a frightened 9-year-old, Scarlett discovers a terrifying conspiracy that's endangered her own family for generations. As she investigates clues pointing to an ancient myth that the children of King Solomon are at war with the descendants of the jinn, she stumbles upon a cult of true believers. Scarlett is supported by a crew of irregulars that would make any private eye proud: a loving sister; a handsome Jewish best friend who's becoming something more; and solicitous neighbors from bakers to cops. Meanwhile, she must come to terms with her feelings about her sister, her memories of her parents, and her unobservant relationship with Islam. With some secrets left unresolved, dare we hope this is not the last mystery Scarlett will solve? This whip-smart, determined, black Muslim heroine brings a fresh hard-boiled tone to the field of teen mysteries. (Mystery. 12-15)

Kirkus Reviews