Haunting Violet

Harvey (the Drake Chronicles) delivers a fun adventure in the form of a Victorian mystery novel that captures the feel (and the flaws) of the age. At the height of the Spiritualist movement, 16-year-old Violet's mother is a con artist, taking advantage of Spiritualists like rich Lord Jasper, to whose estate they've been invited. Violet and Colin%E2%80%94an orphan taken in by her mother%E2%80%94assist in the cons, but Violet is surprised to learn that she can actually see the dead, and that the voiceless ghost of a teenager named Rowena wants Violet's help in bringing her killer to justice. Other complications include Violet's attraction to Colin (which conflicts with her mother's social climbing), an upper-class suitor, and Rowena's bratty (and very much alive) twin sister. Aided by her gossip-loving best friend, Violet unravels a complicated series of secrets, endangering her social standing and her life in the process. Harvey's writing is witty and brings headstrong, irreverent Violet to life ("Never mind finding an eligible bachelor, I mean to find a murderer"). The mystery is relatively uncomplicated, but the social complications drive both plot and character development. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. (June)