The Underdogs - Softcover

Hammel, Sara

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1250115345 ISBN 13: 9781250115348

Publisher: Square Fish, 2017

Synopsis

In her debut mystery, The Underdogs, Sara Hammel delivers a middle grade novel packed with suspense, intrigue, and a breathtaking twist.

Who killed Annabel Harper?

When a popular teen beauty’s body is discovered by the pool at an elite tennis club, the regulars are shocked―especially twelve-year-old Evie and her best friend, Chelsea. While everyone else is haunted by the teen’s death, Evie and Chelsea jump on the case, dogging the footsteps of the lead detective as he investigates. As temperatures soar over the summer, tensions rise, fingers are pointed, and a heroic act sets in motion a chain of events readers will never see coming.

Praise for The Underdogs:

"The big reveal in this mystery is not who murdered golden girl Annabel Harper at an exclusive Massachusetts tennis club―though that’s startling enough. No, there’s actually a far bigger surprise. Once they get to the end, mystery lovers will want to go back and read it all again to find the hidden clues." ―School Library Journal

"Told from Chelsea’s perspective in chapters that alternate before and after Annabel’s murder, debut novelist Hammel cleverly disguises Chelsea’s true identity, leaving that mystery for readers to solve just as the girls pinpoint Annabel’s killer." ―Publishers Weekly

"The mystery format and Harriet the Spy antics keep the story from being bogged down by the heavy issues addressed. . . . This is a book that takes a chance and will genuinely surprise readers." ―Booklist

“Absorbing and enjoyable.” ―Kirkus Reviews

About this title

About the Author

Sara Hammel is a former ranked tennis player and an award-winning journalist with more than fifteen years' experience writing for major publications including People, The Sunday Times Magazine (UK), U.S. News & World Report, Glamour, and Shape. She is the author of Red Carpet Regret: Confessions of a Cynical Celebrity Journalist.

From School Library Journal

Gr 6–10—The big reveal in this mystery is not who murdered golden girl Annabel Harper at an exclusive Massachusetts tennis club—though that's startling enough. No, there's actually a far bigger surprise. In alternating chapters, narrator Chelsea fills readers in on all that happened the weeks before Annabel was found dead by the side of the club's pool, and after, as a local detective examined motives and opportunities among rising teen tennis stars, rich kids, and club personnel. Annabel was a fixture at the club, where her older brother was a lifeguard, and was especially nice to Chelsea and her best friend, Evie. Beautiful and sweet, Annabel attracted a great deal of attention and jealousy. But who could have disliked her enough to murder her? As with most good cozies, the suspects are numerous and the detective is tenacious. He has to be—as Evie and Chelsea follow him around and make dangerous discoveries on their own. Meanwhile, Evie, who is teased for being overweight, discovers she has a natural gift for tennis, though her tennis pro father seems not to notice. Readers learn more about Chelsea's mysterious and abusive past before the club's manager adopted her. The plot is well-thought-out, and though there isn't a great deal of character development, except in Evie's case, there doesn't have to be for this mystery to score. VERDICT Once they get to the end, mystery lovers will want to go back and read it all again to find the hidden clues.—Marie Drucker, Malverne Public Library, NY

About this edition

• Publisher: Square Fish
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1250115345
• ISBN 13: 9781250115348
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 320