Behind the Curtain

Starred review from July 24, 2006
Abrahams knows how to catch the voices of all of his characters, no matter what their age—most especially his Sherlock Holmes-loving eighth-grade heroine Ingrid Levin-Hill. This second book about her, firmly rooted in the fictional but instantly familiar town of Echo Falls, is read perfectly by Delaney, who quietly but persuasively brings considerable excitement to Abrahams's words. Young listeners who already love books will be naturally intrigued, as Ingrid uses Holmes's methods to dig into several mysteries about her own family and her town. And even youngsters who have never read a Sherlock Holmes story will be won over by the perilous adventure so expertly presented. Ages 10-up.

April 1, 2006
Gr 5-8 -Ingrid Levin-Hill, the eighth-grade Sherlock Holmes lover introduced in "Down the Rabbit Hole" (HarperCollins, 2005), is back for another adventure. She quotes her hero quite often as she tries to sort out details that she observes around her. In trying to figure out why her brother is so moody, why her dad is in jeopardy of losing his job, and why her grandfather's property is so valuable, the teen stumbles upon some of her town's secrets. Then, when she is kidnapped but is able to escape, she can't get anyone to believe her. This is a fast-paced mystery with well-defined characters and a plausible plotline and ending. Although a few references are made to the earlier book, this enjoyable story stands on its own." -Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2006
Gr. 6-9. The second entry in the Echo Falls Mystery series, as successful as its predecessor, starts with puzzling questions that spring right from Ingrid Levin-Hill's own life: Why is her football-mad older brother suddenly so much stronger, and why has her father been so tense lately? The plot unfolds slowly at first, but Abrahams' exceptional overlay of detail, especially descriptions of the particular stresses and the goofy occurrences that mark Ingrid's experiences as an eighth-grader, makes the story very convincing as the action builds. Ingrid discovers anabolic steroids are behind her brother's improved performance and new aggressiveness (and also behind some of the mysterious behavior of various people in her town), but just as she is about to do something with her knowledge, she is kidnapped. She escapes, but police don't believe her story, and she has to set up her own sting to prove she is telling the truth. A timely issue gives this mystery a "ripped from the headlines" flavor, but the real kick for readers comes from a believable eighth-grade heroine's investigation of a high-school scandal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)