Dead Man's Hand

October 1, 2012
When his family decides to spend their vacation at a ghost-themed old-West tourist trap, Nick is not enthusiastic, but when, minutes after their arrival, he discovers a dead body in a barn, he perks up. Nick has a passion for detection aided by the Internet and has formed a group that calls itself the Cyber Sleuths, which uses analysis of television shows to solve crimes. This is Book 1 of a proposed series and is as preposterous as any TV crime show. At 14, Nick is both determined to uncover a murderer and easily distracted--by a girl, the need to be right and attempts at humor. Unevenly written and riddled with Nick's irritating asides as well as seemingly random Bible verses, not much works here, least of all the mystery. Adding in rattlesnakes, bears, revolvers and deadly attacks with a shovel from a mysterious someone who is simultaneously packing a revolver doesn't bring it up to snuff. The pace is meant to be fast, and it is. But by focusing on speed, it is often annoyingly vague--much like the younger sister who whines and nags whenever she appears, for no apparent plot-based reason. Just the ticket for a class on how not to write an adventure story. (Suspense. 10-14)

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January 1, 2013

Gr 6-9-Fourteen-year-old Nick Caden, teen techie and amateur online sleuth, gets involved with solving a murder while on vacation out West with his family. Within minutes of arriving at Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town, where guests go on buffalo hunts, attend cowboy poetry readings, and mingle with reenactors, Nick discovers a dead body that promptly disappears. When no one believes him, the marshal "deputizes" him to investigate. While Nick interrogates one cliched suspect after another, readers will struggle to find real clues in this mystery and be hard-pressed to find reference to the "dead man's hand." The premise is an interesting one, but it's bogged down with overly wordy, often clunky narrative and the protagonist's unrealistic voice. Biblical references are randomly interjected and don't fit with the story. Nick experiences multiple implausible situations, such as nearly being bludgeoned in a cemetery, snake encounters, and getting trapped in an abandoned mine with the marshal's niece (a romantic interest), who is supposed to "keep an eye on [him]." Readers can skip this rocky misadventure.-Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library

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