Space Case

Starred review from June 15, 2014
When Dr. Holtz's body is discovered just outside the lunar colony, everyone assumes he made a mistake putting on his spacesuit-but 12-year-old Dashiell "Dash" Gibson has reason to believe this was no accident.Earth's first space base has been a living hell for Dash. There's not much to do on the moon besides schoolwork and virtual-reality gaming, and there's only a handful of kids his age up there with him. The chance to solve a murder is exactly the type of excitement Dash needs. As clues are found and secrets are uncovered, Dash comes to understand that some of the base's residents aren't what they seem to be. With a small cast of characters supplying an excellent variety of suspects, Gibbs creates the best kind of "murder on a train" mystery. The genius, however, is putting the train in space. Closed quarters and techno-mumbo-jumbo add delightful color to the proceedings. Thankfully, the author doesn't let the high-concept setting overshadow the novel's mystery. The whodunit is smartly paced and intricately plotted. Best of all, the reveal is actually worth all the buildup. Thrillers too often fly off the rails in their final moments, but the author's steady hand keeps everything here on track.Fully absorbing. (Mystery. 9-12)

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July 1, 2014

Gr 4-6-It's 2041, and 12-year-old Dash Gibson lives with his family in Moon Base Alpha, the first lunar outpost. Life is mostly dull (watching TV, going to the gym to keep fit, and playing video games-not much variety) until Ronald Holtz, beloved base physician, dies under suspicious circumstances. Despite warnings from the base's autocratic commander, Dash continues to investigate the incident as a possible murder. The story is fun, if somewhat thin; a space-age Agatha Christie mystery grafted onto a Scooby Doo plot. There are multiple suspects, each with a seemingly plausible motive-the scientist who accuses Dr. Holtz of stealing his brilliant idea; the shoddy psychiatrist whom Holtz tried to keep off of the mission; even Lars Sjoberg, the hapless and arrogant billionaire space tourist. Some of the characters are colored with a broad brush, such as Kira the tween-age super hacker; the vile, "pure white" Sjoberg family; and Chang Hi-Tech, the tattooed and mohawked tech guru. But Gibbs's passion for science is obvious, and his portrayal of what life might be like for a middle schooler in space is credible and insightful. The difficulty of learning to run in reduced gravity, the dreary food, ubiquitous technologies, and recycled water (urine is purified and returned to the reservoir) all are treated evenhandedly and with reference to relevant science. The prospect and related concerns of contact with a distant race of super-intelligent beings provide an intriguing "what if" counterpoint. Recommended as a breezy read, especially for the budding space scientist.-Bob Hassett, Luther Jackson Middle School, Falls Church, VA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2014
Grades 5-8 Here's a whodunit set on the moon. The sudden, mysterious death of Moon Base Alpha's physician threatens the entire underfunded lunar-colonization program. Worse, though the base commander and her NASA superiors insist it was an accident, an overheard conversation leads 12-year-old Dashiell to suspect that it was nothing of the sort. Shrugging off hostility from the powers that be and even an anonymous threat, he enlists the aid of a pair of tech-savvy peers andencouraged by an oddly elusive new arrivalgoes digging. Gibbs stocks the cast with multiple suspects and red herrings, suggestive (if sometimes contrived) clues, hints of secret agendas, and unexpected encounters. Ultimately, the investigation culminates in a suspenseful murder attempt out on the lunar surface, followed by a game-changing revelation. Though relatively standard issue as murder mysteries go, this is notable for its unusual setting and features a narrator who displays a realistic mix of wonder at his location and annoyance at having to deal with the Spartan life on another planet. The exposed killer's rationale actually has merit, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)