Trouble Is a Friend of Mine

After her parents’ divorce, Zoe is trying to adjust from city life in Brooklyn to living in a town in upstate New York when a strange, eccentric boy named Digby shows up on her doorstep. Known around town as a troublemaker, Digby is an ingenious, observant Sherlock Holmes–type who thinks outside the box and is determined to solve the mystery of his little sister, who disappeared several years earlier, as well as another, more recent disappearance case. He ropes Zoe into a series of offbeat adventures and undercover detective work, which begins hilariously but progressively becomes more sinister and dangerous as they get closer to the truth. Narrator McInerney is excellent at differentiating the characters’ voices and moving the story along. However, the plot is convoluted, with multiple clues, surprises, and fast-paced twists and turns, which makes it somewhat hard to follow as audio. That being the case, this exciting story may be better understood in print form, where the tiny but significant details won’t be missed. Ages 12–up. A Penguin/Dawson hardcover. (Aug.)