Last Chance: A Robyn Hunter Mystery

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Abbotsford, B.C.

When 15-year-old Robyn Hunter gets arrested at an animal rights protest
rally, her father, a former police officer, is amused; her mother, a
criminal lawyer, is furious. Mom negotiates with the complainant for
community service whereby Robyn will work at an animal shelter for the
summer.

At the shelter, Robyn must deal with Nick D’Angelo, a former fellow
student she fingered for stealing. Nick lives with other young offenders
in a group home but works at the shelter as a volunteer. When money
raised for the animals goes missing, Robyn initially suspects Nick, but
over the course of her investigation she becomes increasingly convinced
of his innocence, even when he is arrested after admitting to a weekend
joyride that ended in a pedestrian’s death.

McClintock, a five-time winner of the Arthur Ellis Best Juvenile Crime
Award, presents the first Canadian-published Robyn Hunter mystery in her
characteristic briskly paced prose infused with humour, snappy dialogue,
fast-paced action, appealing characters, and well-researched settings.
Recommended.