Chasing Starlight

April 10, 2020

Gr 9 Up-This Hollywood murder mystery set in the 1930s will have readers guessing until the end. Kate Hildebrand, 17, unwillingly moves in with her estranged grandfather, Ollie, an old-school movie star. His mansion is filled with so-called "unsavory boarders," men who are down on their luck but were befriended by Ollie. An opportunity arises that gives Kate a way out, but she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Black's leisurely paced novel allows readers to imagine and savor the descriptive qualities of not only the locale but of the characters as well. The atmospheric setting enriches every scene and movement, and every character, including secondary ones, are fleshed out and have their own interesting back stories. In fact, these characters affect Kate's emotional growth, romantic interests, and personal development. Black also addresses the stereotypes of the era. VERDICT This complex tale featuring blossoming romance, an edge-of-your-seat murder, and a host of characters to love and hate is recommended for collections where mysteries are popular.-Kharissa Kenner, Bank Street School for Children, New York

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2020
In 1938 Hollywood, an aspiring astronomer with a tragic past finds herself at the center of a murder mystery. Kate Hildebrand was only 13 when a highly publicized crime took her parents' lives, leaving her in the care of her Aunt Lorna. After her aunt's marriage to a wealthy mining magnate, Kate, now 17, is shipped off to live with her eccentric grandfather Oliver Banks, a once-celebrated silent movie star who shares his crumbling, cluttered Pasadena mansion with a handful of boarders, all down-and-out aspiring actors. It's not an ideal arrangement, but Kate's plan to make a quick exit is thwarted when she meets Ollie's neighbors: 15-year-old film ing�nue Bonnie Fairchild and her glamorous mother, Dorothy. In short order, Kate snags a job as a production assistant on Bonnie's new film and finds herself undeniably attracted to the dashing Hugo Quick, one of her new housemates. When Kate discovers another housemate dead in Ollie's kitchen, Kate and Hugo team up to find a killer. But everyone seems to be hiding secrets, including Kate. Black delivers an atmospheric mystery with cinematic flair that's chock full of period detail, highlighting women's roles in front of, and behind, the camera during Hollywood's golden age. And the brainy Kate, determined to control her own destiny, is no wilting flower. Most characters are assumed white, but there are two supporting characters of color. A captivating crowd pleaser. (Mystery. 13-18)

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June 15, 2020
More interested in astronomy than the silver screen in 1938, 17-year-old Kate Hildebrand is nevertheless packed off to Hollywood to live with her grandfather, Oliver Banks, having no idea that the legendary silent film star is a recluse in dire financial straits. Surrounded at his mansion by her grandfather’s young male boarders—all aspiring actors—and neighbor to a glamorous singer and her ingénue daughter, Kate soon finds herself enmeshed in a film production. After one of the boarders is murdered, the clever teen dons her sleuthing cap, but doing so means facing tragic family memories, including her parents’ deaths and her own brush with infamy. Black (Girl at the Grave) enlivens the novel, set in Tinseltown’s Golden Age, with background about film production and history, while snappy dialogue focuses on gender imbalances found in 1930s Hollywood (“that, my friend, is why all the movies are stereotyped claptrap”). Entertainingly conveying the glitz of Kate’s Hollywood life and romantic interests, this breezy whodunit is a fun historical escape with satisfactory twists. Ages 13–up. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary.

July 1, 2020
Grades 7-10 When she was a child, Kitty Hildebrand was part of a scandal that left her traumatized, orphaned, and thrust into the national spotlight. Now, in 1938, she's left all that behind; she's 17 and goes by Kate, and she's preparing for a life studying for astronomy in college. But first, she has to spend a summer living in L.A. with the grandfather she hasn't seen in years, a former silent-movie star who's become a recluse since his career waned. Hollywood is filled with surprises, some more pleasant than others: Kate lands an unexpected job as an assistant producer on a movie set and is startled to meet her grandfather's houseful of male boarders. But the biggest shock of all comes when she stumbles across a real murder. Aided by a boarder she's drawn to but doesn't know if she can trust, Kate sets out to solve the murder and perhaps chart her own future in the process. It's a thrillingly romantic dive into Old Hollywood that will appeal to cinema and history buffs alike.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)