Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Dark Secrets: No Time To Die by Elizabeth Chandler

Dark Secrets: No Time to Die
Elizabeth Chandler
ISBN 0-7434-0030-5
210 pages
Pocket Books, 2001

Genre: Supernatural/Paranormal; Mystery

Readers Annotation
Teenage Jenny Montgomery attends the summer theater camp where her older sister was murdered the previous year. There, she begins to have pyschic visions that give her clues as to her sister's killer.

Plot Summary
Jenny Montgomery comes from a theatrical family: her father is a famous Broadway actor, her mother was a famous child star, and her sister Liza was a promising young talent before she was murdered last summer. Therefore, it's a surprise to everyone when Jenny decides to attend the same summer theater camp where Liza was killed. Jenny can't quite explain it; she hopes that attending the camp will give her closure. She decides to attend the camp under an assumed name so no one will realize she's Liza's sister.

Though she suffers from horrible stage fright, Jenny is cast in the role of Puck in A Midsummer's Night Dream. While dealing with typical drama camp issues--the director who thinks he's a big shot, a male prima donna--she also begins to have strange visions of Liza. She realizes that she is having psychic visions of what happened to Liza the night she died.  The police ruled it the work of a traveling serial killer, but Jenny begins to suspect it was someone at the camp who knew Liza personally. Jenny tries to solve the mystery and figure out what the killer's motive might have been.

Critical Evaluation
No Time to Die is a well-conceived, tightly plotted mystery. While the killer's identity and their motive will come as a surprise to most readers, there were enough clues given throughout the novel that the ending doesn't seem like a cheap trick.  The supernatural elements are woven well into the story's otherwise realistic setting.  Jenny's psychic visions do help give her clues as to where to look, but she still needs to play detective to solve the mystery.

The story's setting of a drama camp is a smart choice. Not only does it get the teenagers' parents out of the way, allowing them to sneak around in more mysterious ways that they might at home, but it also provides an interesting structure for the story. Jenny's stage fright propels her interactions with just about every character in the book and is a key clue in the final mystery.

While not the most sophisticated book, it would be a good choice for a reluctant readers.

About the Author
Elizabeth Chandler is the pen name of Mary Claire Helldorfer. Under her real name, she has written a number of picture books for young children. As Elizabeth Chandler, she has written a number of supernaturally themed mysteries and romances, including the bestselling Kissed by an Angel trilogy.

Other Books in the Series
Legacy of Lies
Don't Tell

The Dark Secrets series, originally published at the start of the decade, is now being rereleased by the publishers with more modern covers.

Curriculum Ties
This book is not appropriate for use in any curriculum; however, it would be a good choice to recommend to a reluctant reader.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Play up the mystery and Jenny's psychic visions.
2. Talk about the drama camp setting and some of the characters there.
3. Explore the romances in the book and talk about the multiple love interest possibilities for Jenny.

Reading Interest/Level
The book would probably be most appealing to junior high/early high school students.

Challenge Issues
While the story does deal with a murder and a serial killer, the actual book itself does not contain the sort of graphic content that might cause it to be challenged.  There are also no issues with language, sex, or alcohol and drug use.

Selection Criteria
The book was recommended in Teen Genreflecting.

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