First Shot

by Walter Sorrells

Overview

David Crandall's mother was murdered. With few clues, no witnesses, and no motive, the police were never able to solve the crime. Now, two years after the murder, David's starting his senior year and struggling to get on with his life. But still, the doubt remains: could someone in his small town know something about his mother's death? And when David uncovers troubling clues that lead to a deep family secret, he starts to wonder if his mother's death is tied to the scandal. Then one night, David spies his father burying an old rifle in a deserted lot near his house, and is left with one thought-is his own father the killer?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780142414217
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	08/06/2009
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 6.90(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Walter Sorrells, an Edgar Award-winning author, lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Captivating on several counts...a fast-paced intriguing read for genre fans. -Booklist, starred review

Editorial Reviews

Captivating on several counts...a fast-paced intriguing read for genre fans. -Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

Gr 8 Up- David Crandall feels useless. Though he comes from one of Maine's great families, he is convinced that he doesn't have what it takes to live up to its powerful longstanding reputation. His stern and demanding father is headmaster at The Arsenal, the prestigious academy the boy attends, and his life is a constant challenge. Between the fear that his father has murdered his mother, and the longing to earn top honors as the school's best target shooter, is a young man who struggles with feelings of inadequacy. With the arrival of Misty, a stunning new girl who is an even better shooter than he, he finds the strength to go beyond the surface of his beliefs to solve the dark mysteries surrounding his family. Their investigations into the murder put both of their lives in danger. Sorrells sets this modern story on a rocky spit in historic Maine and does a great job of capturing the feel of an elite military academy. As readers are taken through its austere halls and forbidden tunnels, the author unravels a fast-paced mystery that's sure to have wide appeal.-Caryl Soriano, New York Public Library

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School Library Journal

David Crandall thinks his father murdered his mother in this taut but rather trite boarding-school thriller. David is the scion of a famous family that has always dominated his excessively tough military school, at which his possibly criminal father serves as headmaster. An excellent shot, David dreams of winning the school's black-powder rifle-shooting contest. While simultaneously rebelling against Dad and investigating Mom's murder, David embroils himself and his friends in deep danger. Standard-issue characters include the love interest, Misty, a gorgeous girl shooter even better than David; Leo, his trailer-trash best friend; and the customary evil rich guy. Plenty of action leads to some indecisive results, as when David believes Leo has been killed but does nothing about it. Sorrells doesn't even solve the central mystery, leaving Mom's murder to speculation. Still, he packs in plenty of action for a fun read. Exciting but ultimately unsatisfying. (Fiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews