No Such Person

Starred review from May 4, 2015
Jangling suspense juxtaposed with cozy details of family life keeps thriller master Cooney’s latest zooming along. While spending the summer at their family’s home on the Connecticut River, easy-going 15-year-old Miranda Allerdon and her driven, med-school-bound sister, Lander, witness what appears to be a freak water-skiing
accident. Miranda is one of the few bystanders to see that the boy driving
the motorboat seemed to intentionally maneuver the water-skier he was towing in front of a giant barge. Ignoring Miranda’s suspicions, Lander is smitten with the motorboat driver and begins dating him. Miranda’s talents get a chance to shine when another apparent accident, chillingly teased in the opening pages of the novel, thrusts Lander outside the boundaries of her carefully planned life. An unexpected romance for Miranda provides a sweet counterpoint to the novel’s knife-edge mayhem. Viewed in isolation, some of the plot twists edge toward the incredible, but Cooney’s knack for distinctive characterizations grounds the story firmly in the familiar world, while the third-person narration strikes an enticing balance between intimacy and cool detachment. Ages 12–up.

April 1, 2015
Slowly and methodically, the tale unfolds of how two sisters spending the summer at their family cottage on the shore of the Connecticut River find themselves at the center of a murder investigation. Fifteen-year-old Miranda has always walked in the shadow of her older sister, rising med student Lander, yet it is Miranda who shines here, as she alone musters the courage and determination to do what it takes to save her family. Interestingly, the story is told from two perspectives, both those of close third-person narrators. This clever technique allows just enough distance between story and readers to maintain the gauzy, unsettling haze that keeps the truth just out of sight. Unfortunately, the cast of characters feels slightly unbalanced, particularly when it comes to Miranda's parents and other secondary characters, who are surprisingly underdeveloped given their ultimate roles. If readers can suspend disbelief just long enough to believe that a young teen like Miranda would be left on her own under such dangerous circumstances, they won't regret going along for the ride. No one writes suspense like Cooney, and this novel will ensnare readers from Page 1 and keep them turning the pages until they, like the nameless young woman at the center of the opening chapter, know for certain who is dead and who is the killer. Haunting, harrowing, and hard to put down. (Mystery. 13 & up)

April 1, 2015

Gr 7-10-Miranda and Lander Allerdon have a deeply rooted sibling rivalry. Miranda, the youngest, is a dreamer who sleeps in late and choose new hobbies on a whim. Lander, on the other hand, is overachieving, on her way to medical school and, as a result, has a slight superiority complex. They are spending the summer with their parents at their small, rustic cabin on the Connecticut River. When Lander is unexpectedly arrested on homicide and drug possession charges, Miranda instantly suspects Lander's new boyfriend, who has conveniently disappeared after the arrest. While Lander sits in jail and Miranda agonizes from the cabin, they not only obsess over who the real murderer might be, but also meditate on their relationship. The story is told from both sisters' perspectives, allowing readers to piece together the murder mystery from each viewpoint. Although this juxtaposition is engaging, the characters ultimately act predictably and parts of the story do not hold water. However, the plot is full of twists and turns, making it a fun and quick pick, especially for reluctant readers. VERDICT Although this title follows the predictable formula commonly found in Cooney's thrillers, it also has all of the elements that keep young mystery lovers coming back for more.-Jaclyn Anderson, Madison County Library System, MS

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2015
Grades 7-10 Miranda, 15, and Lander, 22, are sisters, but their relationship is an uneasy one. Lander is the favored daughter, a gifted golden girl who is beginning medical school. Miranda feels as though she lives in her older sister's shadow, but things change dramatically when Lander is arrested and charged with murder. Miranda believes she knows the real murderer's identity and is determined to find the fugitive. Meanwhile, Lander is desperate to discover who the victim isdue to circumstances, she can't be sure that she isn't a killer. Is she, and will Miranda's investigation put her in harm's way? Readers will find out gradually, as the action moves back and forth between both sisters' points of view. Veteran author Cooney has written another cleverly plotted novel rooted in suspensesuspense that only escalates as more facts are revealed about the case. Despite these revelations, the denouement still comes as a startling and fully satisfying surprise. Mystery fans will be delighted by Cooney's latest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)