Not fabulous, but still pretty good! I was drawn in by the main character and his oddball friend, trying desperately to find the killer of a not-so-random loner. Greed and power are, of course, at the heart of the deed. But the mystery was sound to the very end.I am focusing on finding good YA mysteries and started with this title. I'm hoping to hear from readers with other suggestions. John C. Ford's "The Morgue and Me" is a dynamite YA detective story because, I believe, Ford approached it as a pulp detective story that just happens to have a teenage boy as its protagonist. He doesn't write down to his audience in any way.Christopher Newell's first choice for a part-time job following high school graduation isn't as custodian in the local morgue, but it does have a strange appeal for him. Shortly after taking the job, though, Christopher discovers the medical examiner is covering up a murder by calling it a suicide. The sheriff appears to be in on it, so Christopher doesn't know where to turn for help in his small, northern Michigan town. He connects with a young, ambitious and sexy reporter at the local newspaper and they team up to solve the murder. As the genre dictates, their investigation draws the wrath of high-ranking members of their community, all eager to keep a corrupt land deal hidden from the public.Because this is a YA book, many of these shady community leaders have children that Christopher knew in high school. Teenage cliques can be as difficult to navigate as the country club set.Christopher narrates the story like a classic PI first person, and his frazzled attitude makes a nice break from the smart-asses or pop culture junkies too common as YA heroes. The rest of the characters are all believable except for Christopher's precocious younger brother. Precocious younger siblings in fiction tend to drive me nuts.
What do You think about Un Été À La Morgue (2010)?
This book was amazing!!! Every turn was exciting and suspenseful. Well done Mr. Ford!
—Corey
If you like murder mysteries you'll like this!
—Lakoda
