Cracked.

Anne Hutchings is a public-school teacher and librarian in Ajax,
Ontario.

Robyn, Trevor, and Nick, junior sleuths, are, at the request of Courtney Gantz, Robyn’s locker-mate, trying to clear Josh, Courtney’s brother, who is accused of causing a bobsled crash. Josh is alleged to have loosened the bobsled’s runner, causing the mishap and injuring his main competitor, James Ramsey. Suspended from competition until the investigation is complete, Josh may miss the national finals.

As if that is not enough, the trio stumble upon a counterfeit fifty-dollar bill. Could there be a connection between the two incidents? If so, who is responsible and why?

The story is suspenseful with plenty of twists and turns, keeping the reader engaged. Robyn, Trevor, and Nick tend to be rather dull, their dialogue somewhat forced, and it seems totally unrealistic that Courtney, a junior-high student, wouldn’t know the price of a TV! However, Cracked will be appealing to junior grade mystery lovers. With its large print and relatively short length (just over 100 pages) is would also be a good choice for reluctant readers. Recommended.