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Synopsis
Bianca is on the case to find out the truth about the new girl at school--and unravel her mysterious past.
Dotsy Harland - VOYA
Fifteen-year-old Bianca Balducci's main worries are her hair, what to wear, and how to attract her heartthrob, Doug Patterson. One day Bianca's focus changes entirely as the result of an unexpected meeting at the mall with a fellow student, the shy and secretive Sadie Sinclair. When Bianca mentions that her sister Connie is a private investigator, Sadie eagerly asks for Connie's phone number, saying that a "friend" is being framed for murder. Bianca is rightly convinced that the mysterious friend is actually Sadie herself, and she becomes determined to find out what kind of trouble Sadie is in and how to help her. Bianca's quest, eventually involving Connie, Doug, and her best friend, Kerrie, leads to one zany mix-up after another. Bianca is caring, energetic, and endearing, and readers will laugh appreciatively at her bumbling attempts to court Doug while playing private eye. The one dark element in the novel is Sadie's convoluted problem. Thugs are blackmailing her for "murdering" her mother, who actually died in a car accident while Sadie was driving. Once revealed, Sadie's secrets seem a bit farfetched, especially when juxtaposed against the predominantly carefree tone of the novel. Nevertheless, all is made well in the end when Kerrie's lawyer father steps in to rescue Sadie, and Doug asks Bianca to the Mistletoe Dance. This light and enjoyable mystery will be especially appreciated by female readers and is appropriate for school and public libraries. VOYA Codes: 4Q 4P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2002, Bancroft, 190p,