  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 05/01/2014 Back in the day, there was an unwritten rule—nobody got murdered in a middle-grade mystery. Kehoe takes that trope and stomps it to death in the first of the Furious Jones series. By 50 pages in, pretty much everyone Furious (don’t ask) loves is gone, and the 12-year-old (who looks 16) is on the run to Galena, Illinois, where his mother was murdered. Having learned she was a CIA assassin (!), Furious is determined to find the mob family and CIA turncoat responsible for her death and . . . then what? Furious has little money and no friends, and he is hazy about his endgame. Nevertheless, he knows how to make things happen. Kehoe has read his Lee Child et al. and is bringing their genre to a young audience. A bit is silly, particularly the end where a presidential candidate plays a role, and the reproduced chapters written by Furious’ father, a best-selling author, are just bad writing. Fans of nonstop action and clever kids will adore this, though, and readers looking for explosive adventure won’t be disappointed. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. Loading...
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