The Back Door of Midnight

January 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-When Anna O'Neill Kirkpatrick receives an invitation from her great-uncle Will asking her to visit him and her great-aunt Iris as soon as possible, she goes willingly. She had lived with them as a child after her mother was killed in a robbery, but was then put in foster care and later adopted by her loving foster mother. When she arrives, she finds that her uncle was killed in a fire, that the perpetrator has not been caught, and that her aunt is either senile or crazy. Anna sets out on her own to investigate the murder and discovers her family history in the process. She soon learns that some family secrets are to die for. Chandler does a fantastic job of keeping readers on edge and creating a suspenseful mood and tone. This is an excellent stand-alone book that is sure to be popular.-Sherry Rampey, Gaston Branch Library, SC

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

asteria_rose - This book was suspenseful, thrilling, and ultimately an amazing read! I was hooked until the very last page. In this story, a teenager named Anna goes to visit her uncle in the small town of Wisteria. However, when she gets there, she finds out her uncle is murdered, and that the only person living in his old, abandoned house is her psychotic Aunt Iris. Anna then tries to solve her uncle's murder, and also find out the truth about her family. Some of my favorite things about this book (there were many!) were the detailed setting of the creepy-yet-alluring town of Wisteria and the fact that Anna struggled with many real problems that a teenage girl would have as she tried to solve the murder. This book is a great read, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in mystery, horror, and realistic fiction.