How to Find a Missing Girl

July 24, 2023
High school senior Iris Blackthorn is the gutsy lead investigator in her three-person amateur detective group, the Blackthorn Agency, which she started with best friends Imani and Sammy shortly after her cheerleader older sister Stella disappeared a year ago. When Iris’s ex-girlfriend Heather, who hosts a podcast about Stella’s disappearance titled How to Find a Missing Girl, also vanishes, Iris knows that she and her partners must investigate. Police immediately assume that Heather’s football player boyfriend is responsible for her disappearance, but the clues Iris unearths tell a different, and far more complicated, story. With local detective de Rosa breathing down her neck for “sabotaging my investigation,” Iris must be careful to stay a few steps ahead to avoid reprimand. But scary anonymous texts sent to Iris make it clear to the teen sleuths that they have more than the police to worry about. An action-filled climax introduces new characters and unique dynamics that elevate this emotionally raw mystery from an anticipatory whodunit to an introspective and high-stakes thrill ride. The cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jessica Errera, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

August 1, 2023
A trio of teen detectives attempts to solve the mystery of two girls who are missing from their small Louisiana hometown. Iris Blackthorn is many things, including pansexual, an amateur sleuth, and the younger sibling of cheerleader Stella, who has been gone for over a year. In pursuit of this mystery, Iris becomes friends with Sammy Valdez-Taylor, a lesbian hacker, and Imani Turner, a dedicated costume designer who uses they/them pronouns. Together they start a detective agency. Heather Nasato, the ex-girlfriend Iris is on amicable terms with, asks the agency to investigate her boyfriend, as she believes he is cheating on her. Shortly after they report proof of his infidelity to Heather, she also goes missing. With the stakes even higher, Iris and her team desperately look for any clues that Heather may have left behind, including any hidden in How to Find a Missing Girl, the podcast Heather made about Stella's disappearance. Along for the ride, whether Iris wants her there or not, is Lea Li Zhang, student journalist and the bisexual, polydactyl ex-best friend Iris has complicated feelings about. The characters' distinct personalities seamlessly blend into the twisty narrative. Along with lots of action and suspense, the portrayal of managing realistic emotional trauma brings introspective depth that will have readers thinking as they devour pages to get to the exhilarating conclusion. Names and physical descriptions cue racial diversity in the cast. A suspenseful, emotionally charged mystery that hits the mark. (resources) (Mystery. 14-18)

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October 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-Iris Blackthorn's sister, Stella, has been missing for a year. The detectives in rural Hillwood, LA, have all but closed the case, assuming she ran away from her alcoholic mother. But Iris is determined to find answers. When Iris's ex-girlfriend, Heather, goes missing after releasing a podcast episode about Stella's disappearance, it is undeniable that something else must be going on. Readers must prepare to suspend their disbelief in this slow-build thriller as 17-year-old Iris and three of her LGBTQIA+-inclusive friends band together to form their very own underground detective agency. Hacking police databases, designing a tracking app to keep an eye on suspects, breaking and entering-Iris will risk everything if it means uncovering the truth. If readers can get past the notion of teenagers conducting a full investigation when the police have no leads, the dialogue and relationships between characters are complex and believable. Readers will be rooting for Iris to succeed and the natural integration of LGBTQIA+ characters feels authentic and relatable. Most characters cue as white, with some supporting characters described as Latinx and Black. VERDICT A secondary purchase where crime thrillers are popular.-Ashley Grillo

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