In Too Deep

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.

New to Little River, Amber appears “angry at the world.” She dresses
in “weird outfits” and “carries herself [with] her chin high and
her eyes flashing dark darts.” Shelby extends overtures of friendship
only to have them rudely rejected; however, to her dismay, her
boyfriend, Greg, successfully befriends Amber and expects her to do the
same. When items start disappearing around Little River High, everyone
suspects Amber. Shelby decides to use the powers of deduction she
developed in the first instalment of the Shelby Belgarden Mystery
series, Out of the Ashes (2002), to entrap Amber. She earns the
principal’s reprimand, Amber’s scorn, and Greg’s displeasure for
her efforts. As she learns more about Amber’s problems, Shelby ends up
defending her against the rising tide of suspicion. Only after Amber has
been charged following yet another robbery does Shelby deduce who the
true thief is, and manage to persuade the police to look elsewhere.
Thanks to Shelby, Amber goes from being the “most unpopular person at
Little River High” to being “swamped with people wanting to be
friends

with her.”

Sherrard deftly handles the genre in this entertaining and well-crafted
mystery. Shelby is an appealing and observant character whose
“detecting” abilities are only one dimension of her engaging
personality. The usual teenage angst and issues absorb Shelby and her
friends. Shelby complains about parents who “drive you insane trying
to cheer you up” and peers who might ostracize you for helping
“someone who was clearly in need.” Using well-paced action, snappy
dialogue, and colourful characters, Sherrard

successfully captures the teenage voice. Recommended.