Poison Most Vial

March 15, 2012
When Ruby's janitor father becomes the prime suspect in a murder, the eighth grader decides it's up to her to clear his name. Forensics expert Dr. Ramachandran was not the most congenial of professors, but everyone is still surprised when he turns up dead in his lab at DeWitt Polytechnic University. Ruby Rose, who attends the DeWitt Lab School on the campus, finds that in the court of public opinion her father has already been convicted--especially after empty toxin vials are found in his locker. Ruby enlists the aid of her large, Jamaican buddy, Rex, and reclusive, retired toxicologist Clara Whitmore, who lives in Ruby's building. What with hacking into computers, evading gangs and like spy-jinx, the mystery demands a lot of brain work. However, with a little coaching Ruby is up to the task. Carey mixes toxic chemistry and logic problems in his second middle-grade mystery to good, if not great effect (The Unknowns, 2009). The slow unfolding of the mystery borders on lethargic, but the realistic heroine, her odd (but not quirky) supporting cast and the distinctive nature of the mystery save this at-times-intoxicating brew. Budding chemists and crime-scene investigators will especially enjoy this science whodunit. (Mystery. 10-14)

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June 1, 2012

Gr 5-8-When forensics expert Dr. Ramachandran is found poisoned in the lab at DeWitt Polytechnic University, eighth-grader Ruby Rose's dad is the prime suspect. He is a janitor in the lab, and empty toxin vials have been found in his locker. Ruby goes to the DeWitt Lab School, which many of the university professors' children ("the little gods") attend. Already somewhat of an outcast, Ruby (now dubbed "The Poison Rose") feels alone in her quest to prove that her father has been framed. With the help of her friend Rex, she hesitantly contacts reclusive, retired forensic toxicologist Clara Whitmore, the "Window Lady," who watches people from her apartment in Ruby's building. Carey has created a mystery with forensic evidence, multiple possible suspects, and two persistent sleuths. Can Ruby and Rex trust elderly Clara, or does she have her own agenda? Can they find the clues they need and get anyone to believe them before Ruby's dad goes to prison? This rather complicated story requires close attention to the clues or readers may get confused. However, die-hard sleuths looking for a challenging mystery might enjoy deciphering the evidence and cracking computer passwords alongside Ruby and Rex.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2012
Grades 5-8 Attending a lab school within a university, Ruby has felt detached from the little gods (professors' children) who make up most of the student body. Now that her single-parent father, a janitor, has been accused of poisoning a professor, she feels downright alienated. Enlisting the aid of a couple of misfit classmates and a reclusive neighbor with experience in toxicology, Ruby and her friend Rex take on the difficult, dangerous job of gathering clues and solving the mystery. Besides dealing with evidence, suspicions, and hunches, Carey includes an explanation of chromatography in forensics as well as some suspenseful scenes of clandestine detective work. Contrasting effectively with the university backdrop, the depiction of Ruby's down-at-the-heel neighborhood gives the book a grittier feel than most mysteries for young people. Though the novel includes a map of the crime scene and provides clues along the way, readers will probably be as baffled as Ruby by the suspects, their motives, and the dark mystery looming over her small family.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)