Thin Ice

In this riveting study of obsession and denial, readers are challenged to test their deductive skills against those of a 17-year-old orphan. Arden is convinced that her ex-guardian and older brother, Scott, is alive and on the run although he has been declared dead (the victim of a snowmobile mishap on an icy Wisconsin lake). She guesses that Scott, overwhelmed by endless responsibilities, wanted desperately to escape, but evidence supporting her hypothesis is sketchy at best (""How many people could die suddenly and not leave even one embarrassing thing behind?""). Police, friends and even the school psychologist are quick to point out holes in Arden's logic; most think her suspicions have more to do with unresolved feelings about the deaths of her parents 11 years earlier than with the facts about Scott. More genuine than either the drama's premise or its highly improbable conclusion are the roller-coaster emotions shaking Arden as she seeks to uncover clues. Hooked by Qualey's (Everybody's Daughter) full-bodied characters, expertly evoked rural setting and crackerjack pacing, readers will waver, wondering if Arden is on the right track or simply crazed by grief. An edge-of-the-seat adventure. Ages 12-up. (Nov.)