The Mystery of Hollow Places

October 12, 2015
When Immy Scott’s father, a mystery writer, tells his daughter the story of his marriage and, later, her mother’s abandonment, he says, “The women in that family were cursed. They could be lonely wherever they were. But not us, Immy. We have each other.” Despite a therapist stepmother always asking questions and a father prone to bipolar episodes, high school senior Immy and her dad are inseparable—until he disappears on Valentine’s Day. Using methods from her father’s detective books and tips from a host of mystery greats, Immy attempts to track down her mother in hopes of finding her father. With the help of best friend Jessa, Immy crawls through hospital records, interviews long-forgotten neighbors, and discovers that the stories told about her parents are just as fictional as her father’s bestsellers. Debut author Podos makes capable use of believable characters and addictive clues to keep readers guessing. Through Immy’s preoccupation with du Maurier’s Rebecca, Podos provides the stirring thematic core of the novel—that obsession with the past can be its own form of dangerous curse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lana Popovic, Chalberg & Sussman.

Starred review from October 1, 2015
The daughter of a bestselling mystery author turns to her favorite literary sleuths for inspiration to find her missing father. A few days before winter break of her senior year, 17-year-old Imogene Scott's father, a medical mystery writer (think Robin Cook meets Patricia Cornwell), leaves in the middle of the night and doesn't return home. While her therapist stepmother wants the police to go public with the news, Imogene secretly believes he's gone looking for her birth mother, who abandoned the family when she was a baby. With just a couple of clues and a lifetime of investigative skills she's memorized from reading her father's books and classic mysteries, Imogene goes on a hunt to find both her long-lost mother and her now-gone father. Refreshingly direct and unapologetic, Imogene is far from a stereotypical people-pleasing, boy-obsessed teen girl. She's intelligent and courageous and has no patience for foolishness, even though she nurses an unrequited crush on her best friend's older brother. She's not always easy to like, but she's captivating as she delves into the murky waters of her dysfunctional family tree. Imogene's fiercely determined to arm herself with the spirits of Lisbeth Salander, Annika Bengtzon, Sherlock Holmes, and her father's own protagonist, Miles Faye, to figure out her life's greatest mystery: the truth about her parents. Although there's a sprinkling of romantic tension and an authentically portrayed best friendship, the author smartly focuses on Imogene's journey of self-discovery. This heartfelt and page-turning debut introduces readers to a whip-smart and wise heroine. (Mystery. 13-18)

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November 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-The only details 17-year-old Imogene Scott has about her mother are ones gleaned from the bedtime story her father told every night. Before he became a best-selling novelist, Joshua Zhi Scott was a forensic pathologist who met Imogene's mother when she came to identify a body. He would then tell Imogene that her mother was always lonely. He'd even say that she was troubled waters. They would never talk about why her mother left, especially not since her father remarried. When Imogene's father disappears in the middle of the night, Imogene believes he wants her to follow clues he left behind. She decides to find him and her mother as well. With unlikely help from her best friend and all of the skills learned from reading her father's mysteries, Imogene hopes to locate her parents and unravel the secrets surrounding her own past. But, as Imogene knows too well, things aren't always perfect at the end of a mystery. Podos delivers an eerie debut novel that is a solid homage to mysteries and Gothic novels alike. Imogene's first-person narration is pragmatic and often insightful as she makes sense of her mother's absence and her father's struggle with bipolar disorder. Although the plot focuses on the mystery of finding her dad, Imogene's story is just as much about acceptance and the strength found in friendships and choosing who we call family. VERDICT Elements of magical realism and a stark Massachusetts backdrop add atmosphere to this sometimes choppy mystery with a diverse cast of characters.-Emma Carbone, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2015
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* When Imogene's father, a famous author of detective novels, disappears, she agrees to let the police do the investigating. But she has held back some crucial clues, and she secretly starts digging deeper into her father's absence, as well as the years-old mystery of her missing mother. Imogene, whose worldview has been shaped, for better or worse, by mystery novels featuring troubled, solitary detectives with brilliant investigative skills, bristles when well-meaning friends and her stepmother try to help, choosing instead to make sometimes foolhardy choices when tracking down her parents. With so much heartache in her past, it's not surprising that Imogene is a little gruff and cold, and Podos gradually and compellingly unspools Imogene's preoccupation with her mother, who seems to be at the heart of her father's depressive episodes, as well as her deeply held beliefs about her own capacity to love and be loved. The noirlike tone of Imogene's first-person narrative is a perfect match for the gray, chilly New England winter atmosphere, and her frequent referencing of detective novels is not only a key component of her character but also a charming nod to the genre. Sharp plotting, unexpected twists, dynamic characters, and a sensitive treatment of mental illness make Podos a writer to watch.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)