Behind the Curtain

Book: Behind the Curtain (An Echo Falls Mystery)
Author: Peter Abrahams
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: steroids, kidnapping, and Big Business villainy in a small town

Eighth-grader Ingrid Levin-Hill loves Sherlock Holmes, and she shares his talent for noticing small details that lead to solving big mysteries. Ingrid's powers of observation have put her in the middle of another mystery in this sequel to Down the Rabbit Hole. I know, two sequels in a row. This one stands a little more on its own than Infernal Devices, but both the Echo Falls Mysteries are so good you might as well read both, anyway. There are two mysteries afoot this time. On the one hand (or foot), her older brother Ty is the only freshman on the varsity football team, and he seems to be getting strong very quickly lately. Pair that with the sketchy characters he's been hanging out with, and Ingrid has her suspicions. Not a lot of mystery there in the What, but plenty in the Who and How. On the other foot, there's the new, high-powered female VP at the Ferrand Group, the local 500-lb.-gorilla of a company where her dad used to be the only VP. His stress over job security is off the charts, and he's passing the fun on to the rest of the family. Now throw in a very odd invitation to Ingrid from Chloe Ferrand, who never talks to her anymore, but now suddenly wants Ingrid to come swimming at the mansion. Inside pool, of course, daahling. What does Ingrid's grandfather's farm have to do with all this? Who knows, but Chloe brings it up over dinner. To top it all off, Ingrid is kidnapped out of her garage. Why doesn't anyone believe that it happened? Escaping from the locked trunk of a moving car may have gotten her out of a Saturday "Math Fest", but there are much more believable alibis to dream up.

The mysteries are not all that mysterious here, and most readers will guess whodunit, but that doesn't detract from the fun of a good, old-fashioned mystery. The true strength is in the characters, and especially in the dialogue, which is straightforward and short but very funny, sometimes coming across like a deadpan series of one-liners, or an old comedy routine. Topping the list of memorable characters is Ingrid's wonderfully independent and crotchety grandfather. He does things like use dynamite to create a pond and import rare frogs to make his farm a protected habitat in order to foil the Ferrand Group's attempt to buy him out. Exchanges are also particularly funny between Ingrid and Joey Strade, the police chief's son and a potential love interest. All the awkwardness of talking to a friend who's becoming interesting, but in snappy, one-liner form.

Peter Abrahams is better known for his adult mysteries, none of which I've read, but I certainly like the looks of his writing style from what he has to offer for teens. I may have to cross over into the grown-up end of the pool.