Buzzwords: Puzzles, Catholic school, Music (violin, band), FriendshipA fun continuation to the series - the Red Blazer Girls have gained some local notoriety, and have decided to continue solving mysteries, with Margaret still as the brains, but the others chipping in. Sophie is still the voice of the story, and she's a great POV character because she knows just enough to be dangerous, as they say, and she is involved in everything, but Margaret got center stage a lot in this book, as did Leigh Ann, which was great. For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I felt it was well written, had interesting puzzles, and was fast paced enough to keep me interested.My typical read is fantasy, all age ranges, so this was a bit of a departure for me. To be frank, however, I would prefer my 12 year old daughter not read this book, nor the first, and I won't be recommending them to her. I felt that the behavior of the characters was inappropriate for their ages. Children so frequently imitate what they see in popular culture, and this book is marketed to just that - children.Perhaps Mr. Beil feels he has his finger on the pulse of the tween scene; perhaps he does and I'm the one being unrealistic. However, as adults and role models I believe that was have an obligation to provide this sensitive age with appropriate reading material. If this is the "real world" then I think I'll be encouraging my daughter to stick to fantasy, something that is a reflection of the imagination and not a sub-culture of real life.
What do You think about The Vanishing Violin (2010)?
Almost like a modern day Nancy Drew. Lots of action and movement. I enjoyed this book very much.
—JessiieO
I love these books. They remind me of my friends and how crazy we are. Love mysteries!!!
—PeaCe
