Delany, Vicki. A Winter Kill.

Delany, Vicki.    A Winter Kill.    Orca/Raven  111p  $9.95 978-1-55469-956-8 ms/hs Rapid Reads(Orca/Raven) E-BN      Mystery/Detective       Rapid Reads series (hi-lo, grades 8 and up)

Nicole Patterson is a new, young constable in the Canadian town in which she grew up.  While on patrol, she discovers, in the snow, the body of a teen-aged girl who has a blemished reputation.  The girl’s drunken father is the prime suspect, but Nicole maintains that this murder is not his style.  With a deep understanding of the undercurrents in the community, Nicole keeps digging into the case.  Even though she is both advised and ordered to drop the case, she eventually solves it.

Told with simple vocabulary at a low reading level (grades 2-3), this quick read will grab a teen’s attention from page one with the opening lines "Sometimes you can just tell.  When they’re dead."  As the case unfolds, the reader is drawn into the lives of both the investigator and the dead girl.  This is a very satisfying read for reluctant readers, and it is especially refreshing because it is not about gangs or teen angst.           

Mysteries-Fiction, Murder-Fiction, Hi-Lo Books -- Joan Theal