Deadly Cool [NOOK Book]

( 113 )

Overview

First I find out that my boyfriend is cheating on me. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And now he’s depending on me to clear his name. Seriously?

As much as I wouldn’t mind watching him squirm, I know that he’s innocent. So I’m brushing off my previously untapped detective skills and getting down to business. But I keep tripping over dead bodies and I’m still no closer to figuring out who did it. And what’s worse: all signs seem ...

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Deadly Cool

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More About This Book

Overview

First I find out that my boyfriend is cheating on me. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And now he’s depending on me to clear his name. Seriously?

As much as I wouldn’t mind watching him squirm, I know that he’s innocent. So I’m brushing off my previously untapped detective skills and getting down to business. But I keep tripping over dead bodies and I’m still no closer to figuring out who did it. And what’s worse: all signs seem to point to me as the killer’s next victim.

I really need to pick a better boyfriend next time.

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Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up—Hartley can't believe her bad luck. First, she hears rumors that her boyfriend, Josh, is cheating on her with Courtney Cline, a member of the abstinence-only Color Guard. Second, she finds an empty condom wrapper in his locker—maybe it doesn't mean anything, right? Finally, and this is the biggie, after she goes over to Josh's house to confront him, she finds Courtney dead in his closet, strangled by her own iPod earbuds. So, what's a jilted and traumatized girl to do? Prove her ex-boyfriend's innocence, of course. When Hartley and her best friend set out to discover who murdered the popular teen, they find themselves in more danger than they bargained for. After Hartley stumbles upon another murdered Color Guard member, she begins to suspect that she might be next on the killer's hit list. Along the way she meets Chase, the bad-boy editor of Herbert Hoover High's online newspaper, who joins her in her quest—but is the brooding James Dean look-alike everything he says he is or just a killer in disguise? The cliff-hanger ending sets the book up as the first in a series. This fun and outrageous mystery is a perfect mix of humor and horror that will have readers laughing while they try to figure out "whodunit."—Traci Glass, Eugene Public Library, OR
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“Halliday effectively combines a murder mystery with daily high school drama. Sharp humor is layered throughout the novel (fans of Veronica Mars will likely appreciate this one).”
Booklist
"Halliday has her finger on the pulse of high-schoolers, whether goth, jock, prude, or computer nerd. With red herrings aplenty and a wicked pace, this relentlessly pulls the reader along to anexplosive conclusion."
C.C. Hunter
"Gemma Halliday delivers a fun, sassy read that has you turning pages so fast, you’ll be breathless."
VOYA - Mark Letcher
Hartley is having what can only be described as an extremely bad day. First, she discovers that her boyfriend is sneaking around with Courtney, the supposedly chaste captain of the Color Guard, a discovery that everyone else in her Silicon Valley high school has apparently already made. Later, when she goes to confront her boyfriend about the affair, she discovers the body of that same Color Guard virgin in his closet, strangled with a pair of iPod earbuds. With that, Hartley quickly becomes immersed in the questions of who killed Courtney, and did her (now ex-) boyfriend do it. If not him, then who? With the help of her best friend, and the mysterious bad boy/school paper's editor, Hartley begins to investigate. After another Color Guard member is killed, Hartley's investigation intensifies, as does the danger to her own life. Halliday's first book for teen audiences effectively combines a murder mystery with daily high school drama. Hartley is a believable heroine, one who does not want to be thrust into the role she is playing, and the dialogue is authentic, without dragging on the fast-moving plot. Some of the mentions of popular products and stores, however, date the book. While readers may peg the killer early, that does not detract from the way the mystery unfolds, or the sharp humor that is layered throughout the novel (fans of Veronica Mars will likely appreciate this one). Some discussions of sex make this more appropriate for older readers. Reviewer: Mark Letcher
Kirkus Reviews

In this light comedy/murder mystery, 16-year-old Hartley tries to prove that her ex-boyfriend didn't kill her rival.

The emphasis stays on comedy with spikes of suspense as Hartley bounces from rage against boyfriend Josh and his not-so-secret squeeze Courtney to screaming shock when she finds Courtney's dead body in Josh's closet. Despite appearances, she's sure he's innocent and decides to prove it, no matter how ill-equipped she may be to do so. She teams up with Chase, a hunky, goth-type school journalist who looks a bit suspicious himself. Hartley breezily defies her mother and sneaks out of her house to meet strangers in the middle of the night, even after she literally stumbles over a second murder victim. Not surprisingly, eventually she finds herself in danger. Halliday keeps the mood light and tries to balance the comedy and suspense. Comedy easily wins the battle, but suspense often breaks into this fairly standard murder mystery. The author portrays Hartley as a bit of a bubble brain, however, indulging in omigod freakouts with best friend Sam at every turn of events and constantly acting on impulse, quipping her way through high-school suspects until she finds the major clue in the case. It's fine for an audience more interested in light entertainment than discerning heft.

Light indeed, but merry and often suspenseful. A pleasant, funny chick-lit mystery.(Mystery. 12 & up)

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780062093219
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 10/11/2011
  • Sold by: Harpercollins
  • Format: eBook
  • Pages: 320
  • Sales rank: 42,766
  • Age range: 13 - 17 Years
  • File size: 4 MB

Meet the Author

When Gemma Halliday was sixteen she wanted to be either a rock star or Marilyn Monroe. Instead, she ended up working as a film extra, a teddy bear importer, a department store administrator, a preschool teacher, a temporary-tattoo artist, and a 900-number psychic before settling on the career of author. Since then, her books have been published in several countries, optioned for television, and have won lots of cool, shiny trophies, including a National Readers' Choice Award and three RITA nominations. Gemma now lives in the San Francisco Bay area, where she loves watching reality TV shows, eating takeout pizza, and shoe shopping. She is also the author of Deadly Cool.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 113 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(87)

4 Star

(19)

3 Star

(6)

2 Star

(1)

1 Star

(0)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 113 Customer Reviews

  • Posted May 22, 2011

    Wonderfully entertaining murder mystery for teens.

    Could this day get any worse? First, Hartley discovers a condom wrapper in boyfriend Josh's locker-they aren't sexually active. Then she hears rumours floating around that he's 'effing' Courtney from the Color Guard Squad. Taking matters into her own hands, she and best friend Sam head over to Josh's to confront him and get some answers. However, what they discover is far worse. Hartley, while breaking into Josh's bedroom, discovers Courtney's dead body in his closet-strangled to death with white Ipod earbuds. All the fingers quickly point to Josh and he becomes the prime suspect, but Hartley knows better. Josh may be a no-good cheating jerk but he's not a murder. Ready to prove his innocence, Hartley teams up with Sam and gorgeous goth photographer and editor of the newspaper Chase.

    The best way to describe Gemma Halliday's Deadly Cool is "a wonderfully entertaining teen murder mystery with a perfect dose of humour".

    I found Gemma Halliday's voice for Hartley and her best friend Sam absolutely hilarious. They both had a habit of censoring themselves with "effing" and various other words, which made me giggle quite a bit. Conversation between the characters resembled typical high school talk and gossip. It wasn't sugar coated and was raw to the teenage bone. The events leading up to Hartley's discovery of Courtney's body truly resembled that of a girl who fained ignorance to her boyfriend's deception despite the fact that she clearly doubted his innocence. Hartley was a difficult character to get used to reading. Despite her edgy personality, I found myself disliking her daftness and eagerness to leap before looking. As for her friend Sam, I felt like readers weren't given much of an opportunity to get to know her. She felt like a blank void and I found myself knowing more about dis-interesting characters like Kaylee and Shiloh. Chase was an interesting addition and I liked how his role grew from beginning to end. Deadly Cool definitely kept me on my feet. I had a very hard time trying to pin point who the murderer was, kudos to Gemma. The mystery, of course, was present from beginning to end but there was also a very small sliver of romance that definitely didn't outshine the plot's purpose. The cover was complimentary to the novel; beautiful and eye catching. As I crawled towards Hartley's discovery of the body, I began to realise what the cover image depicted. From what I presume it is Hartley's view when discovering Courtney's dead body. It's very eerie now that I think of it but it's still very beautiful and attention grabbing. Deadly Cool is a recommended read for young adults who need a mystery fix with a tiny bit of teenage drama.

    10 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 25, 2012

    Best

    This is the best book ever and it has suspense comedy and drama. Has to be bought so dont wait just buy

    3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 11, 2011

    Deadly Cool Fun!

    I'm smiling right now. I know, you can't see me. But trust me, I am. The reason for the big smile? This book, Deadly Cool. Based on the cover, which I adore, and the synopsis, you might think Deadly Cool to be a dark, serious book. And I'll admit, there are aspects to the book that are dark and serious. Such as, cheating boyfriends, murder, and a killer on the loose. But author Gemma Halliday told the story with a droll, quick-witted tone that absolutely knocked the ball out of the park.

    I'll admit, it helps that Deadly Cool was exactly the type of book I was in the mood for. Young Adult, contemporary, non-paranormal was what the reading-doctor ordered. I knew I was in for a delicious treat when I read the opening lines:

    "There are three things you never want to find in your boyfriend's locker: a sweaty jockstrap,a D
    minus on last week's history test, and an empty condom wrapper. Lucky me, I'd hit the trifecta."

    And, thankfully, the entire book was able to maintain that tone. It was packed full with witty dialogue and laugh-out-loud situations.

    Deadly Cool has an easy to read, conversational tone. I felt like I was a participant in the action. Halliday did an immense job of lending main character, Hartley, and the other teens, non-irritating, engaging voices. Well, except for a couple of the girls. But they were supposed to be irritating! There wasn't a single character in the story that wasn't spot-on, well written. The cheating boyfriend, Josh, is shockingly likeable. Like Hartley, I knew I should despise him, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for the poor guy. I suppose it helps that he is descibed as looking very much like Zac Efron. And as much as I adore Josh, I have a thing for unconventional book guys. Like Chase, Hartley's partner in crime solving. He's cool, wears black-on-black-on-black a lot, has messy hair and sly comebacks. Perfect.

    Deadly Cool was a pleasant surprise. I thought I would most likely enjoy it. I loved it. I read within a few hours time, dying to know who did the deed. This book was a fun, breezy read. A stand-alone that could easily be a series. And, Wow, I hope Halliday does give us more Hartley, soon!

    Favorite Quote:

    "Whether it was the chamomile or the good long cry or the fact that Chase was once again speaking to
    me, I had a little spring in my step as I walked to second period, only five minutes late. I might
    be a leper, but I was a leper with a clue."

    * I received Deadly Cool from Harper Teen, in exchange for an honest review. *

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 12, 2012

    Freaking awesome!

    I'm big on mysteries, and when I found out that this murder takes place in a highschool setting, I was super happy. And when I actually read it?

    OH. MY. GOSH.

    Hartley is completely relatable. If you found your boyfriend's condom wrapper, you'd react the same way she would, and you'd react the same way to finding bodies. She's super sarcastic and funny, and her lines are so witty and perfect. I absolutely adore everything about this book. If you like murder, or just funny teenage antics, this is the book for you.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 15, 2012

    <3

    2 out of 13 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 24, 2013

    Boring

    Partyim out

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted December 23, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Loved it!

    The cover:

    I love this cover. It illustrates Hartley very well, and those iPod earbuds?? Oh my!! *_*

    The storyline:

    So, this is one kind of a book. I enjoyed every bit of it.

    The beginning was great, introducing us directly to the issue while explaining things at the same time.

    Hartley¿s boyfriend, Josh is the worst boyfriend I¿ve ever seen, though he did one thing only by cheating on her, this made the deal for me. The girl didn¿t deserve this and he was her first love!

    I hate boys¿

    Anyways, at the beginning when Hartley discovers a school mate dead at her boyfriend¿s house, every evidence points to him as the killer. However, he shows up and apologizes to her and asks her to help him find out who¿s the real killer who¿s framing him.

    Throughout the book, you¿ll go through weird twists and awful discoveries that¿ll keep you reading.

    One of the many things I loved about this book is that Gemma, the author, did a great job making the characters alive. There were a lot of moments when I¿d have acted the same way. It was funny to see Hartley mentally debating with herself on many things and because she¿s awesome, she always chose to help others, even if it meant sneaking out of the house at midnight!!

    And because I¿m a geek, I fell more for this book, there were mentions of Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Apple, Mac, Google and many more! And they were part of the story, not just mentions .

    The writing was smooth, funny, fun, mysterious and very good. I just have nothing to complain about in this book!!

    The characters:

    Hartley is my heroine. She¿s been through a lot of things and still acted strong and brave and fought to prove her ex-boyfriend¿s innocence. She¿s honest and blonde who adores Legally Blonde!! <333

    I¿ve always liked blondes despite what others might think of them, but her, I loved her!!

    Josh¿.hmmm¿ Josh is an effing jerk. That¿s it. Just because his girlfriend wouldn¿t give in to him he went on and cheated on her, then came back asking her to forgive him??? What a boyfriend!!

    Chase is super freaking cool. I¿ve always loved Goths for their mysterious looks, and I loved Varen in Nevermore. So Chase was no surprise to me when he offered to help Hartley investigate the murder while he kept making jokes and funny statements. He is a gentlemen with a bad driving.

    Sam is the BFF. She¿s cute, funny, crazy and supportive. She¿s been all the way with Hartley.

    Other characters that are note worthy are Kevin who¿s Sam¿s brother, they kept borrowing his ¿evironmental friendly¿ car. Which was funny to read because each time he asked them to fill her with some sort of oil fuel lol. Caitlyn whom I let it to you to discover what¿s going on with her.

    Conclusion:

    This was a wonderful fun read. I recommend it if you like laughter, mystery, thriller and social networks .

    1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted September 24, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Great Read!

    This was a great mystery book!! I am a huge fan of mystery books and this certaintly does mystery books justice. First of all the mystery itself was really good. I had no idea who the killer was and it's certaintly a surprise when you find out. Every chapter keeps you wanting more and more to find out whodunit. I also love the relationships between all the characters and I think it kept the book feeling like a teenage book. The plot, charcters, and overall book was great! I can't wait to read more from Gemma Halliday. I also absolutely LOVE the cover!!!! :) PS: Be on the lookout for the second book Social Suicide!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 8, 2013

    Streaks Cool Den

    What whaaaaat? (Post)

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 8, 2013

    Foxshade/Windwhisper

    Im bored so i came over here. Tell Darkstar Featherkit is ready to be an app cuz he flippin never listens to me.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 17, 2013

    New Favorite Book (:

    Amazing.

    Unpredictable.

    Deadly.

    Deadly Cool.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 3, 2013

    Hidy

    Hi

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 3, 2013

    To parker

    Thts u in my book?

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 3, 2013

    Holly

    Cabt tlk anymore srry

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 26, 2013

    U there

    Hello

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 26, 2013

    Candy

    Yeah

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 22, 2013

    Keeps you guessing

    Amazing mystery book. I loved it. It always keeps you guessing and is a hard to solve mystery. It gets the most intesnse the last couple chapters. 8th grader

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 25, 2013

    Holly

    I have to go cht u sometime in apirl love u little brother um i will try to get on tonight if i dont bi am in trouble

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 16, 2013

    Good

    Full of suspense and a good mystery book

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 11, 2013

    Gianna

    My...got caught bye forever.

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