“As the daughter of a Colorado County coroner, seventeen-year old Cameryn Mahoney is no stranger to death. In fact, she’s always been fascinated by the science of it. So she’s thrilled to finally get some hands-on experience in forensics working as her father’s assistant, but Cammie is in for more than she bargained for when the second case that she attends turns out to be someone she knows—the latest victim of a serial killer known as the Christopher Killer. And if dealing with that isn’t hard enough, Cammie soon realizes that if she’s not careful, she might wind up as the killer’s next victim. . . .” – Amazon’s summary
A murder in the mountains. A teenager ready to prove herself. A hunky deputy. A psychic. These are definitely good ingredients for a Young Adult novel. There were things about the story that were predictable or cheesy, but there were also a lot of actual scientific processes explained and used in an attention-catching way. I may check out the other books in this series! Alane Ferguson seems to have created a series that is a perfect introduction to True Crime. This book, and probably the other books in the series, had it’s sensational, exaggerated moments, but it’s all in the pursuit of the reader’s attention (and I found it worked!). It’s classified as a YA (Young Adult) novel, so I believe this could very well peek the interest of some teens to look into actual True Crime books and programs. And if you are an adult who already enjoys True Crime, this is still a fun, quick read.
I’ve got to say, the mountains seem like an excellent backdrop for all things Drama. They loom on the horizon; you can gaze at them off in the distance while deep in thought; they are treacherous as much as they are beautiful. It’s what peaked (haha) my interest when I was looking for a book set in Colorado – a crime in the mountains just sounded so intriguing. I wasn’t disappointed either! This book did keep my attention. I was very invested in Cameryn. Although I couldn’t exactly relate to the situations and personal struggles she had, I did find myself thinking “Hell yeah, I’d do/say the same thing!” I was with her every step of the way. She’s a great, spunky, smart, feminist lead, and I loved everything about her!
Overall, pretty good storyline, a great lead character, interesting scientific bits, and some family drama sprinkled in for good measure. Ferguson knows how to keep your attention, and I just may read some others from this Forensic Mystery series.
For All Story Lovers! 