Vanishing Act: Mystery at the U. S. Open

This YA thriller features eighth-grade sleuths Susan Carol Anderson and her sidekick, Stevie Thomas. The two aspiring teen sportswriters are covering the U.S. Open. Shortly before the most eagerly anticipated match of the day, young Russian tennis star Nadia Symanova disappears as she walks from the locker room to the court. The police are baffled, but the 13-year-old amateur detectives eventually unravel a sports scandal. Charming protagonists and "insider" tennis lore make this a fun listen. The big weakness, however, is John Feinstein's reading. His matter-of-fact voice trails off at the ends of sentences, so the listener often isn't sure of what's been said. M.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine