The underworld's rising star is 17-year-old Kaz Brekker, known as Dirtyhands for his brutal amorality. The dangerous city of Ketterdam is governed by the Merchant Council, but in reality, large sectors of the city are given over to gangs who run the gambling dens and brothels. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.Ī treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.Īdolescent criminals seek the haul of a lifetime in a fantasyland at the beginning of its industrial age. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible.

But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. 13 & up)Įveryone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago-except Pippa Fitz-Amobi. CW-worthy dialogue, quirky secondary characters, romance and suspense: a winning combination. Camelia can’t help being drawn to Ben even when he warns her to stay away. Meanwhile, Ben reveals his ability to sense the future through touch, a power he only partially controls and which failed to save his ex. Is it new boy Ben? Jock John? Ex-boyfriend Matt? Or even Camelia’s young boss at the pottery studio and shop? Whoever he is, he’s determined to win Camelia at any cost, and the tension ratchets up until the action-packed ending. As if that’s not excitement enough, Camelia seems to have attracted a secret admirer, and her lively first-person narrative is interrupted by passages from the perspective of this prospective suitor. Three months ago a handsome boy saved Camelia’s life now he’s enrolled at her school, followed by rumors that he killed his girlfriend. The prolific Stolarz ( Blue is for Nightmares, 2003, etc.) here launches the new Touch series.

Deadly little secret