Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

(Young Adult) This was a top-notch mystery that can be enjoyed by both adults and teenagers alike. I typically don’t get engaged by mysteries because I don’t pay enough attention to detail to make predictions about the crime, but in this novel I became so attached to the characters that I didn’t really care if I could solve the murder or not. This is the first in a series of books about Ingrid, a 13-year-old actress/soccer star who loves Sherlock Holmes novels and who solves mysteries in her small town (Echo Falls). When the community theater decides to put on a play based on Alice in Wonderland, Ingrid gets the lead role, a stranger comes into town, and a murder occurs. Abrahams unweaves the story with great style and humor, all culminating in an action-packed final scene. Favorite Quote: (This is when Ingrid gets hurt during a soccer game.) “She shifted her head – that hurt – and saw all the players kneeling, proper procedure when a player was down; the red-haired girl knelt close by, looking worried. Dad stood on the sidelines, ready to charge out and embarrass her at any moment.”