Reviewed by Melissa Rader (Library Staff)
What an outrageously charming mystery!
Here’s what goes down: when head coach Hollerin’ Hank turns up murdered and her father is implicated, high school senior Millie Ostermeyer taps into her journalistic skills and goes on the hunt for a killer.
My favorite part of this book, hands-down, was Millie Ostermeyer. I can’t remember the last time I was this charmed by a character. She was just so refreshing and un-self-consciously quirky, with her love of philosophy and social awkwardness and habit of speaking her mind. I love how excited she can get about pie, ugly dogs and the prospect of becoming “Sir Millie” at Sir Loin’s Steakhouse for consuming a 60 oz porterhouse in one sitting.
I also found myself laughing out loud but appreciating that the book wasn’t so silly that it undercut the real issues Millie is dealing with–the loss of her mom to cancer a few years previously, falling for her mysterious classmate, her dad’s perceived guilt, etc.
As a mystery, it definitely wasn’t a knock-you-off-your-chair, definitely-didn’t-see-that-coming big reveal (I figured out the murderer and murder weapon about 100 pages before Millie), but still well-worth the journey.
As far as I know, this is a standalone book but I would spend more time with Millie in a heartbeat.
Located in Teen Fiction (TEEN FIC FANTASKEY)