Pittsburgh schoolmates Jane Strum and Ashley Strauss have very little in common. Whereas Ashley focuses a lot of attention on her social status, Jane is autistic, socially awkward, and prefers the company of her cat Lucy. But the two seem to be the only ones who are absolutely positive that their beloved sixth-grade teacher did not commit a crime. (Miss DiMicco allegedly tried to steal a bundle of cash during a local shoe store’s annual school fundraiser.) Ashley suggests to Jane that they form a secret investigative club to unmask the actual thief. Myriad challenges await, like Ashley being distracted by her best friend Isabel Kenney, who’s seemingly chosen another BFF. The fact that one of the duo’s suspects is another teacher presents another obstacle to maintaining their club’s clandestine operations. Jane and Ashley, however, are tenacious detectives who won’t let anything stop them from keeping Miss DiMicco out of jail. A terrific cast fuels Rouvalis and Wayman’s story—the tween gumshoes are truly remarkable and complement each other throughout. Jane has trouble empathizing, but she makes great efforts to be nice; when she yells for quiet in a moment of sensory overload, she quickly adds a “please.” While Jane has the book smarts and observational skills, Ashley proves to be quick-witted and wields a charm that puts people at ease. The text alternates between Jane and Ashley’s distinctive first-person narrations; Jane takes well-known expressions literally (she’d never put herself in someone else’s shoes, especially wedges) and is generally more mellow while Ashley hops into a “favorite spinny chair.” All the while, there’s an absorbing mystery (the girls gather enough clues for readers to piece together their own solutions among various suspects with plausible motives). While the novel delivers a satisfying wrap-up, readers would surely enjoy following these “super snoopers” as they tackle other unsolved crimes.
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English (US) ·