Trouble is a Friend of Mine

November 30, 2015
After her parents’ divorce, Zoe is trying to adjust from city life in Brooklyn to living in a town in upstate New York when a strange, eccentric boy named Digby shows up on her doorstep. Known around town as a troublemaker, Digby is an ingenious, observant Sherlock Holmes–type who thinks outside the box and is determined to solve the mystery of his little sister, who disappeared several years earlier, as well as another, more recent disappearance case. He ropes Zoe into a series of offbeat adventures and undercover detective work, which begins hilariously but progressively becomes more sinister and dangerous as they get closer to the truth. Narrator McInerney is excellent at differentiating the characters’ voices and moving the story along. However, the plot is convoluted, with multiple clues, surprises, and fast-paced twists and turns, which makes it somewhat hard to follow as audio. That being the case, this exciting story may be better understood in print form, where the tiny but significant details won’t be missed. Ages 12–up.
A Penguin/Dawson hardcover.

Starred review from May 18, 2015
In what reads like a combination of Veronica Mars and The Breakfast Club, debut author Tromly creates a screwball mystery with powerful crossover appeal. Sixteen-year-old Zoe Webster, a newly minted child of divorce from Brooklyn, is biding her time with her mother in the suburbs of upstate New York until she can move back to the city and attend boarding school. When she meets Digby, a loner who “treats you like a book he’s already read,” she agrees to help him discover what happened to a missing classmate, Marina Miller, as well as Digby’s sister, who was abducted eight years ago. Joined by high school quarterback Henry, preppy cheerleader Sloane, and science genius Felix, Zoe and Digby uncover a gynecological drug ring, stop a shady pseudo-religious cult, and even make time for homecoming photos. Tromly enlivens scenes with breakneck pop-culture-dosed dialogue (“Don’t be a Squidward”) and slapstick comedy. After risking her life, Zoe finally figures out what she wants from her parents and from Digby, but Tromly leaves enough loose ends to suggest a possible sequel—a very welcome prospect. Ages 12–up. Agent: David Dunton, Harvey Klinger.