Lehr, Dick. Trell.

Lehr, Dick. Trell. Candlewick Press  2017  307p    $17.99    ISBN 978-0-7636-9275-9    ms/hs  Mystery  VG         

Romero Taylor is imprisoned, but is it wrongful imprisonment? His daughter Trell believes it is. Rejected in the plea for a new trial, Trell continues her quest with a reporter. Together, they tackle the impossible, trying to find witnesses who have disappeared in gang-ridden neighborhoods of Boston. Author Dick Lehr, in his first attempt at the young-adult audience, has a solid plot, an interesting, fast-paced writing style, and well-developed characters. His protagonist is Trell, a young teen who is resourceful, resilient and resolved.  Readers see this in her actions. She lives in a dangerous part of Boston, but that has not shaped her life. She has elevated herself by gaining acceptance into a prestigious private school with a scholarship. What establishes the plot is her desire for justice for her father, a former drug dealer accused and convicted of murder, and she doggedly pursues the people who can help. First? She elicits the help of a young lawyer, Nora Walsh. Nora shows Trell just how difficult the journey of proving one’s innocence can be, yet the pair forge ahead to file for a new trial. When that petition is denied, Trell next elicits the help of a reporter, a down-and-out former success who fell apart after the death of his child years before.  Clemens Bittner comes aboard after first avoiding Trell, and the two become sleuths, interviewing witnesses who were coerced into testifying at Romero’s trial and searching out alibis who were with Romero when the murder of young Ruby Graham occurred. Gangs, drugs and poverty provide a dramatic backdrop for this powerful story. However, it is the story and principal characters that compel the reader forward. Lehr has not created a new genre of literature, fiction based on a real-life incident, but he establishes himself as a writer who knows how to tell a story that is exciting for younger readers.  They will want to find out if Trell proves her father’s innocence. That is the sign of good writing. This novel is a good choice for middle-school and high-school readers who like a book they can tackle in a few sittings. The drama combines with the detective genre in just the right amounts to make this a worthwhile read. Good writing; very good plot.   

Summary: Trell pairs up with a young lawyer to find evidence of her father’s innocence in the crime of murder. 

Murder-Fiction                                     --Martha Squaresky