How to Fall

June 9, 2014
Sixteen-year-old Jess Tennant is spending her summer in the idyllic small town of Port Sentinel on the English shore, but not by choice. Her beautiful cousin Freya died in a fall from a cliff the summer before, and Jess’s mother is there to support her twin sister, Jess’s aunt. Within days of arriving, Jess is mistaken for Freya by half the town (“As far as they were concerned, Freya was back from the dead. Awkward wasn’t the word”), and she becomes interested in this cousin she never met, and whether her death was truly an accident or suicide, as most people believe. Irish crime author Casey (the Maeve Kerrigan series) makes a foray into YA with this fast-paced thriller, first in a planned series. Jess is hard-edged, blunt, and aggressive—the kind of heroine who doesn’t cower when she’s met with hostility by some of the local teens who knew Freya, and who isn’t going to be dissuaded from finding out what really happened to her cousin. Ages 12–up. Agent: Ariella Feiner, United Agents.

June 15, 2014
A teenage girl-turned-detective unravels the truth behind her doppelganger cousin's tragic demise in this moody crime novel.Native Londoner Jess Tennant arrives in the seaside village of Port Sentinel to spend the summer getting to know her estranged extended family, only to be met with near-constant stares on the street. A year ago, Jess' cousin Freya died in a tragic accident most believed to be suicide-and Jess looks exactly like her. Immediately the talk of the small town, Jess becomes embroiled in Freya's old relationships, and many of her new acquaintances, including Will, Freya's handsome but irksome former best friend, seem to harbor dark secrets. Jess isn't anything like the daydreamer cousin she never met, however, and determines to investigate the truth of Freya's death, no matter the cost. Casey creates a stark, immersive setting and believably despicable teenage characters. However, Jess reads as equally unfeeling and abrasive, only showing much emotion when it comes to facing the far more layered and complicated Will. The solution to the mystery lacks the punch it promises, but the clever banter and the truly devious side characters will keep readers invested.If readers can get past this less-than-charming stand-in for Veronica Mars, they should enjoy this page-turner. (Mystery. 14-18)

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June 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Jess Tennant's summer is not going as planned. Her mother has whisked them away from the bustle of London to her childhood home of Port Sentinel, a town where "one-horse" would be an upgrade. Her mother's nostalgia is weird, but weirder still are the looks Jess is getting from the locals. It turns out that she bears a strong resemblance to her cousin Freya, who died under mysterious circumstances the previous summer. Suicide, the locals hint, but something tells Jess that there might be more to the story. Between her mother, her sleuthing, and the dreamy Will, Jess's summer is shaping up to be less of a retreat and more of an ordeal. Can she discover the truth and help put her cousin's memory to rest? This is adult mystery-crime author Casey's first YA, and it shows in the novel's dialogue and pacing. Characters feel slightly off, especially Jane, who reads as much older than 16, while simultaneously being oblivious to the realities she's facing. Readers who have outgrown Nancy Drew but aren't ready for Laurie King or James Patterson will enjoy this female-driven whodunit, and those looking for a less mature Stephanie Plum title will find this an easy fit.-Clair Segal, Horace Mann School, New York City

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Grades 9-12 In this thoroughly British, tightly spun mystery, Jess Tennant, a newcomer to Port Sentinel, defiantly bucks the local social order when she investigates the suspicious death of her cousin. Jess thinks her mother is crazy for trying to mend fences with her estranged twin sisterand even crazier for wanting to spend the summer in sleepy Port Sentinel, far from the excitement of London. Once there, though, Jess finds herself tangled in the knot of local cliques and long-established relationships that may have led to her cousin's death. Casey, author of several acclaimed adult police procedurals, uses a smart technique to get her girl detective thinking about the victim: since Jess' appearance is almost identical to her dead cousin's, she literally steps into her shoes and becomes a living ghost, walking around town as she tries to catch a killer. Snappy dialogue and Jess' tenacity make this a page-turner, and readers will thrill to notice some very obvious loose ends that lead into her forthcoming second outing. High-quality mystery writing for young readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)