Dead Time

Gr 7–10—At 17, Rose Smith still wonders what happened to her mom and stepdad, who disappeared when she was 12. She lives in London with her grandmother, and her stepbrother, Joshua Jackson, has just come there to study and lives with an uncle. One evening, Rose runs into her tormenter, Ricky Harris, who insults her and is murdered minutes later. After the investigation is underway, Rose goes to meet a friend, but she has been killed as well. With two mysterious deaths and Rose's missing parents, the stage is set for a fast-paced mystery. With the help of Josh's friend, Skeggsie, a hacker wiz, the two murders are solved, and the outcome will keep readers guessing. But is there a connection between the murders and the disappearance of Rose and Josh's parents? Readers will have to wait for the next installment to find out. The mystery is easy to follow, and the thorny relationship between Rose and her critical, socialite grandmother and the renewed and supportive relationship between the teens are well drawn.—Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI