How to Fall

.span style = 'font-weight:bold'>Gr 9 Up—Jess Tennant's summer is not going as planned. Her mother has whisked them away from the bustle of London to her childhood home of Port Sentinel, a town where "one-horse" would be an upgrade. Her mother's nostalgia is weird, but weirder still are the looks Jess is getting from the locals. It turns out that she bears a strong resemblance to her cousin Freya, who died under mysterious circumstances the previous summer. Suicide, the locals hint, but something tells Jess that there might be more to the story. Between her mother, her sleuthing, and the dreamy Will, Jess's summer is shaping up to be less of a retreat and more of an ordeal. Can she discover the truth and help put her cousin's memory to rest? This is adult mystery-crime author Casey's first YA, and it shows in the novel's dialogue and pacing. Characters feel slightly off, especially Jane, who reads as much older than 16, while simultaneously being oblivious to the realities she's facing. Readers who have outgrown Nancy Drew but aren't ready for Laurie King or James Patterson will enjoy this female-driven whodunit, and those looking for a less mature Stephanie Plum title will find this an easy fit.—Clair Segal, Horace Mann School, New York City