LULU DARK CAN SEE THROUGH WALLS by Bennett Madison

Lulu Dark is as far from Nancy Drew as a girl can get. She carries a wonderfully hideous Kate Spade knock-off (wouldn't Nancy carry the real thing?). She lives in Halo City (far hipper and more metro-urban than Nancy's River Heights). And she wants nothing to do with solving a mystery (when Nancy can't wait to jump into her next sleuthing adventure).

Then the horror of all horrors happens: her purse is stolen. Soon, Lulu is pulled into a mystery that seems to get more complicated, more involved, and more dangerous by the minute.

Mystery #1: Who stole her purse? Is it lead singer Alfy Romero, weird new girl Berlin Silver, crazy stalker girl Sally Hansen, her best friend's evil older sister, or a mystery girl named Hattie?

Mystery #2: Is Sally Hansen trying to kill her? Is it nail care related?

Mystery #3: Will she ever realize her best-bud Charlie is head-over-heels for her?

(There are far more mysteries, but I'm not cruel enough to give away spoilers!)

As a life-long fan of the ND (Nancy Drew, for those in the know) I thought no way could I love an anti-Nancy. But I was sooo wrong! Lulu is a strong, independent, quick-thinking, problem-solving, fashion-statement-making, loyal heroine who keeps you laughing and enthralled as you wonder, What in the world is really going on here?

In LULU DARK CAN SEE THROUGH WALLS, Bennett Madison weaves an intricately developing plot of mystery threads that gradually twist themselves into a massive knot that you're certain no sleuth (teen or otherwise) can ever unravel. And then, string by string, he pulls the threads loose, revealing the solutions as cleverly as he constructed the problems.

If you're looking for a fun, fresh mystery with a bit of teen snark and a generous helping of I-never-would-have-guessed, then pick up LULU DARK CAN SEE THROUGH WALLS. (If you've already devoured this one, then grab the sequel, LULU DARK AND THE SUMMER OF THE FOX--already in my to-be-read pile!)

Hugs,
TLC