A simple favour that turns deadly… It's a chance for the new kid, Colin, to score points with popular Jace Turpin. All Colin has to do is take over Jace's early-morning shift at the burger joint. Flip some patties, sizzle up some fries… Easy. Then Colin gets kidnapped. The simple favour turns into a complicated murder puzzle - with Colin as the suspect. Now the heat is truly on.
Writing in first person narration, Melanie Jackson crafts this enthralling mystery novel clearly with her audience of reluctant readers in mind. Jackson writes in short, simple sentences, and uses action-based language, which is appropriate for her target audience. Any reluctant reader would be undaunted by the physical layout of the book: the font is big, and the page count is well under 100 pages. At every turn, Colin learns that people are not always as they seem, for better or for worse. For the most part, the plot is fast-paced and follows a linear progression. However, after reading the resolution of the mystery, I actually felt slightly misled. Given the information in the story, there would have been no way to infer the conclusion. On the positive side, this resulted in a very thrilling and suspenseful ending. Overall, Jackson writes a very entertaining and gripping mystery, one which is realistically set in the region of North Vancouver. This quick read is sure to please any adolescent reader with a taste for fast cars, guns, and double agents! - Dorothea Wilson-Scorgie