Instantly compelling, this is the story of two siblings who find themselves abandoned and evicted from their home. Buddy, 11, is sent to stay with estranged relatives in Montana, while her brother Bart, 17, sets off to solve the mystery of their father, who has vanished while starting a new trucking job. Buddy is uncomfortable in the madcap, financially strained, and crowded home of her doting Aunt Cassie and sharp-tongued Aunt Addie. Gus is Cassie’s husband, a barely functioning alcoholic who is resented by his son Max, and Grandpa’s dementia keeps the family on their toes. Buddy is disconcerted when she finds a photo of her father with his arm around Aunt Addie. She feels even more wretched when Aunt Addie links the disappearance of Grandpa’s money to Ellabelle, her now deceased mother. Meanwhile, Bart travels down the California highways as he gets closer to finding their father, dead or alive. It is a windfall of good fortune when Buddy finds the missing money, Bart saves their father, and Aunt Addie sells two manuscripts. Excluding Buddy, who lacks intensity, the characters are fully drawn and engaging, but this is supposed to be Buddy’s story. While Roberts is not at top form, this has stories within stories, but is more a look at family dynamics than one of her fine mysteries. She does use her characters to touch on the subjects of alcoholism, codependence, poverty, and the enduring influence of family. But the issues tend to outweigh the plot, making this a less-than-satisfying whole. (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-81670-7
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2000
Maynard (Quiet, Wyatt!, 1999) makes fire the pivotal plot element in this short, episodic action novel. In the small village of McIntosh, Jed, the fire chief’s son, is branded a fire bug for a past transgression in which he accidentally burned down the family garage. Now, when a local swamp catches fire, he is the first to be blamed. Norm Dempsey, wannabe fire chief, is first to point the finger. Through a freak accident, Jed’s father lands in a coma in the hospital. A series of fires, a swamp fire, brush fire, barn fire, and school fire in the sports equipment room, forms a string of actions that make up the story. Toss in a few boyish pranks and some not-so-subtle clues and the story builds to its natural climax—an even bigger fire. This time, a monster train wreck sets the whole pond ablaze. Not surprisingly, Jed takes charge and steps in to rescue the day, the nursing home and surrounding houses, with a little help from his recuperating father, all in the name of saving face and proving that Norm Dempsey is behind the arsons. This fast-moving, predictable fare has some great action sequences, with appeal for mystery fans. (Fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-399-23439-X
Page Count: 149
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
Policeman Jack’s cat and dog team, Kitty and Belle, are an unusual crime-busting duo: Kitty is a shrewd mouser, while lazy Belle would rather sleep. When a wily burglar picks the lock and breaks into Policeman Jack’s house, Kitty jumps on top of the thief’s head, while Belle rouses from a nap to growl and chase the burglar out the door. They are rewarded with a TV appearance on the nightly news. In a tale told entirely in verse, the entrance of the burglar functions more as a device to break up the monotony than for building suspense or creating comedy. O’Malley saves the day with his portraits of the highly personable pets, including one picture of the appropriately sleepy Belle, bloodshot eye open amidst folds of fur. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8167-4952-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1999
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