The Maypop Kidnapping by C.M. Surrisi
Summary: In the coastal village of Maiden Rock, Maine, Quinnie Boyd’s teacher has disappeared. Quinnie thinks it’s a kidnapping case, but her mom, the town sheriff, just thinks the teacher has left town. Still, Quinnie’s going to follow her instincts that something’s wrong. Her investigation takes her through a damp and smelly marsh, a lobster pound, and more of Maine’s messiest places. She even gets help from her glamorous new neighbor, Mariella. As the girls hunt for clues around Maiden Rock, they encounter a cast of unlikely characters. And if Quinnie’s hunch is right, the search may lead them right into danger . . .
The characters in this mystery crackle and snap with life. At thirteen, Quinnie leads a pretty quiet life in the tiny town of Maiden Rock on the coast of Maine – a town so tiny that her crusader mother plays the parts of real estate agent, mayor, sheriff, AND postmaster. (And, in my absolute favorite detail, her office contains a separate desk for each role.) But things change when Quinnie’s beloved tutor disappears under suspicious circumstances, and no one else seems alarmed. Quinnie is determined to figure out what’s happening, and she’s aided by Ben, her childhood crush, and Ella, the daughter of a famous crime novelist staying in town. Maiden Rock is drawn in loving detail, from the diner run by Quinnie’s dad that serves as a central meeting place for the residents, to the slightly batty nuns at Our Lady of the Tides convent. There’s just enough scary stuff to keep readers on edge, but characters, setting, and details of the crime keep the book firmly in middle grade territory. The only problem is that now I really really want to vacation in this fictional town…guess rereading this terrific mystery will have to suffice!
THE MAYPOP KIDNAPPING is out now.
Kathy MacMillan 