The River by Mary Jane Beaufrand

Veronica can't believe her eyes; one day while out jogging, she discovers the body of her ten-year-old neighbour. She has hated living in the small town of Hoodoo ever since she and her parents moved there, but now she has to deal with the death of someone she felt very close to. Over the following week, she discovers that her friend's death might not have been an accident, and that there might be things going on around her that she'd never imagined.

I liked Veronica as a narrator. At times she seemed very naive, which I think fit well with me, because there was a lot that happened in the book that I didn't see coming. The story was well-plotted and the writing was precise and direct. There was one point near the end of the story where Veronica did something and I just thought "really? is that a smart thing to do?" but I could kind of see why she was doing it. If you're looking for a tight mystery with a little big of romance, this would be a great choice.


Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Reality Check by Peter Abrahams
The Third Eye by Lois Duncan
All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab