Useless Bay

Starred review from August 15, 2016
In this stellar mystery from Beaufrand (The Rise and Fall of the Gallivanters), 17-year-old quintuplets investigate a death on Whidbey Island in Washington State. Marilyn Monroe “Pixie” Gray has a reputation for finding things (including missing people) with the help of her bloodhound, Patience, and her rough-and-tumble brothers, Dean, Lawford, Sammy, and Frank, all named after members of the Rat Pack. When 10-year-old Grant, the younger brother of Pixie’s friend Henry Shepherd, disappears, Grant’s millionaire father is frantic; Pixie’s discovery of a body kicks off a dangerous series of events with consequences for both families. The narrative alternates between the perspectives of Pixie and Henry, highlighting Pixie’s sly sense of humor, as well as her love for her family and their beloved island home; Henry, meanwhile, harbors a dark childhood secret that may come to the surface. Short in length but long on atmosphere, it’s a gripping mystery with a supernatural overlay that makes its setting all the more haunting. But it’s the irresistible Gray quints, subject to their own rumors and local mythos, who steal the show. Ages 13–up. Agent: Steven Chudney, Chudney Agency.

On Whidbey Island, Washington, the Gray teens--tall, blond, white quintuplets--and one smart bloodhound specialize in search and rescue (missing toddlers, lost pets); this time, their neighbor and friend Grant Shepherd, 10, has disappeared, and complications ensue.Money is tight for the quints and their single mom, year-round residents. Useless Bay is a weekend getaway for the wealthy, white Shepherds: Henry, Meredith, and their half brother, Grant, who live with their venture-capitalist dad, long divorced and remarried to Grant's Russian mom. Henry Shepherd and Pixie Gray, who share a mutual attraction, narrate in alternating chapters. The youngest, shortest (at 6 feet 2 inches), and lone girl quint, Pixie's long been haunted by the phantasm of the unsavory man, later murdered, who trained their bloodhound. This terrifying apparition (think Davy Jones of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise) heralds catastrophe. The desperate hunt coincides with stormy weather that worsens as the body count rises. Macabre descriptions abound; the Pacific Northwest's majestic land- and seascapes are limned with occasionally startling digestive and elimination imagery: ferries and ocean tides vomit up their contents; Deception Pass' swirling waters are compared to toilet-bowl cleaner. Though a few plot twists strain credulity, at its best this is a taut, suspenseful page-turner in which severed body parts, human and canine, fantastic and real, figure prominently--call it magical realism, horror division. (Magical realism/thriller. 13-18) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Family secrets and hidden connections drive this exciting, slightly uneven offering. When Grant, the son of a wealthy businessman, goes missing on Washington's Whitby Island, the family calls on the Gray quintuplets to track him down. The strong and fearless siblings are connected to the land in an almost mythical way, and they happen to own the state's best detection dog. They've also been known to harbor Grant when he feels like hiding. As soon as the search begins, it's clear that nobody is quite telling the truth. When Grant's older brother Henry and Pixie, the only female Gray sibling, find the body of Henry's stepmother in the bay, the search becomes an investigation and the intensity spikes. Atmosphere is everything in this book, and Beaufrand paints a lush and loamy natural landscape that mirrors the beauty and the sinister nature of the island's inhabitants and hints at an otherworldly bond Pixie might share with the dead. The action strays off pace at times, and there are a few dialogue holes that might give readers the impression that they have missed something, but the quintuplets' boundless energy and gruesome inquiries always get things back on track. VERDICT A dark and earthy thriller with a touch of romance for large collections.-Beth McIntyre, Madison Public Library, WI

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