  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 05/01/2011 Best-selling adult author Margolin teams up with his daughter in this youth debut that pulls a few Nancy Drew parallels into a wholly contemporary story. Like titian-haired Nancy, 12-year-old Madison Kincaid lost her mother in early childhood and lives with her well-known, highly successful attorney dad. And, like Nancy, Madison is a well-rounded high-achiever: a strong student, she is also a precocious force on the soccer field. In this series starter, Madison has two missing-persons mysteries to solve: Was her former teacher murdered? Is her best friend still in Europe, where she spent the summer? Why hasn’t she contacted Madison? Setting the story in Portland, Oregon, the authors work in realistic emotional tensions as they thread their way through the two central plot strands. Unlike sunny, independent Nancy Drew, for example, Madison occasionally feels resentful toward her distracted, workaholic dad, especially as she works through her first junior-high jitters. A budding romance and vivid court scenes (Margolin is a former trial lawyer) give readers more reasons to hope for future installments of Madison’s adventures. - Copyright 2011 Booklist. Bulletin for the Center... - 12/01/2011 As the only daughter of a defense attorney (and an avid reader of crime thrillers and courtroom dramas), Madison Kincaid tends to see the criminal where others would just see, well, everyday life. For example, when her friend Ann doesn’t show up for the first week of seventh grade, Madison assumes she must have been kidnapped and murdered, while her other friends just think that Ann is simply extending her European vacation with her parents. Besides worrying about her vanished pal, Madison is also trying to figure out how best to get (and retain) the attention of her workaholic father; she’s hoping if she solves his current case of a missing elementary schoolteacher, he might start treating her like an asset instead of a burden. The two missing persons cases turn out to be rather mundane in their resolutions, but there’s a nice security in this kind of non-threatening conclusion. Similarly, Nancy Drew fanatics will likely see Madison as a counterpart to their idol and will appreciate the more relatable aspects of Madison’s situation, particularly her floundering relationship with her father. Unfortunately, the dialogue is sometimes distressingly stiff, and the convenient placement of several plot points would strain the credibility of even the most formulaic thriller. Still, there are plenty of readers who like their mysteries more cozy than gritty, and Madison’s attempts at sleuthing will no doubt find an audience among aspiring Miss Marples. KQG - Copyright 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. School Library Journal - 02/01/2012 Gr 4–6—Madison Kincaid is the daughter of famous attorney. Her best friend went to Europe over the summer and hasn't contacted her since, and she isn't in school on the first day. When Madison tries to get in touch, she discovers a neglected house and yard and an untouched Facebook page. The seventh grader sees these details as sinister and worries that harm has come to her friend. A second mystery involves Madison's second-grade teacher, who has also gone missing and, it appears, has been murdered by her husband. When Madison's father is retained by the husband for his defense, Madison becomes involved in the case in the guise of "helping" her dad. This is a straightforward mystery with just the right number of twists and turns for younger and reluctant readers. Fans of "Nancy Drew" (Grosset & Dunlap), "The Red Blazer Girls," and "Sammy Keyes" (both Knopf) will enjoy the sleuthing.—Tina Martin, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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