E. M. Alexander

Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Kerri Langston's life is anything but trouble-free. Ever since the death of the family dog years ago, Kerri has experienced psychic visions. At the time, only Kerri's sister, Ann, seemed to understand when Kerri mentioned her "sightings" of good old Petey.

Kerri's visions have been more frequent since the supposed suicide of her father. It has been difficult for everyone in town to accept the fact that a well-liked and respected police officer would end his life by his own hand. Kerri is definitely not convinced, and repeated "visits" from her father have only encouraged her to investigate his death further.

Life for Kerri becomes even more complicated when she stumbles over a dead body in the woods surrounding Deacon Pond. When she attempts to connect the incident with her recent visions, the police and even her own mother and sister don't take her seriously. Forced to depend on herself and her instincts, Kerri embarks on her own lonely journey in search of the truth.

DEATH AT DEACON POND can be classified as a mystery/thriller since E. M. Alexander fills her plot with enough twists and turns to keep readers on their toes. Just when it seems the real killer has been discovered, the plot turns in a different direction. Although appropriate for middle grades, this book requires an attentive reader to follow and appreciate the more intricate details.… (mer)

Kerri Langston has visions. She had them after her father died, leading her to believe he didn’t commit suicide. And now she’s having them about Mark Travers, the dead man she stumbled upon in the woods near Deacon Pond. But somehow, these new visions are connected to the ones about her father. Kerri is no longer content to let the police do their work; she wants to investigate for herself.

This choice propels her into a dangerous situation. She’s caught several times by the crime scene by Officer Roberts, the father of her best friend and her father’s partner, before her father died. Kerri’s mother is uncomfortable with Kerri’s interaction with the police because she still can’t get over her husband’s death. Seth, the son of Officer Roberts, tries to warn Kerri to stay away from the crime scene, but Kerri doesn’t listen; she wants to find the truth about everything. But what will it cost her?

Death at Deacon Pond was a very exciting murder mystery. Kerri’s visions are unusual when places out of context of the story, but they seem completely natural in this novel. I felt that there wasn’t adequate characterization for everyone except Kerri, but then again, Kerri is the main character. Many times, scenes sprung up on my which can be both good and bad: it’s good to have unpredictability in mysteries, but sometimes it just seemed implausible. Nonetheless, Death at Deacon Pond kept me on the edge of my seat; it wasn’t exactly 100% high action, but there was a good dosage of it. I loved how all the events and characters connected at the end, which is fantastic for all mysteries. I was completely engrossed during the several hours it took me to read this.

If you love a good suspenseful novel involving mystery and murder, Death at Deacon Pond is a good choice for you. Also, if you liked The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson, you will like this book too. Fans of the Blue is for Nightmares series by Laurie Faria Stolarz will find that Kerri has many similarities with Stacey Brown and her visions but minus the magical aspect. I definitely recommend this fast-paced and exciting book to all readers.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com… (mer)