Children - Fiction & Literature

Behind the Curtain (Echo Falls Series #2)

Name: Behind the Curtain (Echo Falls Series #2)
Author: Peter Abrahams
ISBN: 9780060737061

by Peter Abrahams

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Overview

Things are amiss at 99 Maple Lane. Ingrid's dad's job is in jeopardy and her brother, Ty, is getting buff—really buff—but his moodiness is making Ingrid start to wonder . . . Meanwhile, Ingrid's beloved soccer coach is replaced by an icy newcomer who seems a little too savvy to be in it for the postgame pizza. True to her hero, Sherlock Holmes, Ingrid begins fishing around to find out who's really pulling the strings in Echo Falls. But one morning, while en route to the dreaded MathFest, Ingrid is kidnapped and locked in the trunk of a car. Even if she escapes, will anyone believe her story?

Synopsis

Publishers Weekly

Abrahams knows how to catch the voices of all of his characters, no matter what their age most especially his Sherlock Holmes-loving eighth-grade heroine Ingrid Levin-Hill. This second book about her, firmly rooted in the fictional but instantly familiar town of Echo Falls, is read perfectly by Delaney, who quietly but persuasively brings considerable excitement to Abrahams's words. Young listeners who already love books will be naturally intrigued, as Ingrid uses Holmes's methods to dig into several mysteries about her own family and her town. And even youngsters who have never read a Sherlock Holmes story will be won over by the perilous adventure so expertly presented. Ages 10-up. (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

About the Author, Peter Abrahams

Peter Abrahams is the bestselling author of Delusion, Nerve Damage, End of Story, Oblivion, The Fan, Behind the Curtain, and Into the Dark as well as Lights Out and Down the Rabbit Hole, for both of which he received Edgar Award nominations. Peter makes his home in Falmouth, Massachusetts, with his wife and four children.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly

KLIATT - Claire Rosser

To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, May 2006: This is a sequel to Down the Rabbit Hole, which introduced Ingrid, her family and community; it probably would stand alone as a story, but is best together with the first book. Echo Falls is a small town in Connecticut where Ingrid is in middle school. Her Grampy owns a farm that developers want to force him to sell. Ingrid's brother Ty is trying his best to succeed on the high school football team; she is convinced he is taking steroids and her curiosity uncovers some shady characters who easily could be selling the drugs in the community. So, when Ingrid is kidnapped and must escape from the trunk of a car, there are some likely suspects. Try convincing the powers that be, however. Most everyone thinks Ingrid made up the story and so it is up to her to prove she isn't lying—but that means she has to sneak around to discover her kidnapper. Characters from the first book are here: her friend Joey, who believes her; the police chief, Joey's father, who wants to believe her but doubts the evidence; Grampy, her fierce protector. The mystery is entertaining and well constructed. Something about Ingrid reminds me of another middle-school sleuth, Sammy Keyes, from the successful series by Wendelin Van Draanen.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Peter Abrahams's Down the Rabbit Hole (Laura Geringer Books, 2005) gave 13-year-old Ingrid her first sleuthing experience in her town of Echo Falls--and the Echo Falls Mystery series was born to popular acclaim. In the second book (Laura Geringer Books, 2006) in the series, Ingrid, a Sherlock Holmes devotee, becomes involved in two sinister plots, both of which develop slowly. Clues and events that seem to involve her brother lead Ingrid to believe that there is a steroid abuse crisis brewing at her local high school. At the same time, her grandfather's farm property is attracting attention and high-pressure tactics to force a sale. Narrator Colleen Delaney gives Ingrid and the other characters believable voices in this fast-paced reading that is appropriate for these adventures. Mystery aficionados will appreciate Ingrid's determination to solve the mysteries, although it takes a rather long time to bring the two plot lines together. A fine addition for upper elementary and middle school listeners.-Jane P. Fenn, Corning-Painted Post West High School, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.