perth's teenaged miss marple solves the case
Ruth is only 14, but she’s well versed in mystery novels. She’s read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. She loves to follow Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Miss Marple to find the killer. And while she’s on vacation, visiting her dad’s family at her step-grandmother’s (GG’s), she’s done more reading. There is no internet. There is no coverage for cell phones. And there is only one small television. So Ruth’s had extra time to read, and her GG has shelves filled with classic mystery novels.
But when GG is killed by a typewriter, everything changes for the family. Although she is sad, Ruth sees it as her chance to solve a murder and goes to work. She works with her hot cousin Dylan to search for clues and look into suspects. Most of the suspects are family, like hippie Aunty Vinka and her hot younger surfer boyfriend Nick and well-dressed Aunty Bec and her not hot not younger boyfriend Shippy. The only person anywhere near GG’s farmhouse is the new neighbor, who bought the farm next door and comes over to help GG every once in a while.
Nick has an alibi, as he was in the hospital when GG died, but the rest of the family was all at GG’s. And as Ruth starts digging around in their relationships, she finds far more than she wanted to know. But she also finds people with motives, with secrets, maybe even with secrets ready to kill for. But investigating GG’s death means that she is putting herself in the line of fire. Will Ruth be able to solve the crime before a killer gets her in their sights?
The Dysfunctional Family’s Guide to Murder is a funny look at dysfunctional family dynamics while also being a murder mystery. Ruth is a charming character, smart and determined, as she chases after the answers she wants. And her family spins around her, a collection of strong personalities that add to the entertaining factor of this unusual Australian family.
I had a lot of fun with Ruth as she worked to solve this mystery. The setting in Perth and her colorful family added a lot of heart and humor to this story, and her crush on Dylan brought back memories of my teenage crushes. This book has a lot of personality, and I hope Ruth finds herself in more dicey situations in the future, because I’d love to read about them.
Egalleys for The Dysfunctional Family’s Guide to Murder were provided by Knopf Books for Young Readers through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.
