The Case of the Furtive Firebug

Kicking off the Kerry Hill Casecrackers series, this slight mystery is set in Newport, R.I., where 13-year-old Hally and her younger brother, Jason, are spending the summer with their father. Soon after their arrival, they meet a girl, Tuyet, who has agreed to paint an apartment owned by grouchy Mr. Crowhurst. Hally and Jason go with her to help, but Crowhurst tells them to get lost. They leave, but return later, at which point the tale's implausibilities begin. When Jason smells smoke, the three investigate and account for the smell by concluding that the former tenants of the apartment downstairs must have been cigarette smokers. The building goes up in flames and Crowhurst locks the three kids in his van, then tries to blame the blaze on Tuyet. The young sleuths, however, find the hole in Crowhurst's own alibi and convince the police that he is the culprit. Pieces fall into place a bit too easily and the writing can be annoyingly chirpy: ``Now, get!'' roars Mr. Crowhurst; ``And so they `got,' "" the authors quip. Ages 9-12. (Dec.)