From the Publisher
* "This fantastic debut packs a highly suspenseful blend of action, intrigue, and teen romance." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"This thoroughly engaging tale in the tradition of Nancy Drew or Veronica Mars ends on a satisfying note, but readers will hope for a sequel because it's just that good." — School Library Journal
"Maetani's fast-paced debut will appeal to readers who like their intrigue with a generous helping of romance." — Booklist
Best Books, Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College of Education New Visions Award Winner, Tu Books Junior Library Guild Selection Asian/Pacific American Award Honor for Literature, Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)
Best Fiction Book, Salt Lake City Weekly Lone Star Reading List, Texas Library Association (TLA) Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, The Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College Best Novel by New Author, The Whitney Awards
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2015-04-01
Claire's parents are keeping secrets that could kill her. Sixteen-year-old Claire Takata is a spirited, inquisitive amateur locksmith and sleuth. Claire and her brothers have always believed their father died of a heart attack 10 years ago and that their mother met their stepdad after he died. But when Claire finds an old letter in her father's journal and pictures locked away in her stepdad's desk that reveal otherwise, she is determined to find out the truth. Why have her mom and stepdad lied to her? Why does her mom never want to talk about her father? And what really happened to him? Through letters Claire has written to him over the decade since his death, Claire's father has served as her confidant, an outlet for her grief, frustrations, and longings. The author also makes smart use of these letters, interspersing them between chapters to deliver important back story. Claire's grief and sense of loss are compounded when she eventually discovers that her father had been a member of the yakuza, transnational Japanese organized crime syndicates—and then her sleuthing attracts the attention of someone tied to her father's past....The romantic tension between Claire and her best friend, Forrest, plays out authentically in a subplot, and the novel's twists and turns will keep readers riveted and guessing even after they finish the book. This fantastic debut packs a highly suspenseful blend of action, intrigue, and teen romance. (Thriller. 12 & up)
