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Summary: The Night The Penningtons Vanished
Review: Here's a young adult mystery for all ages, fast paced, with articulate twists and turns and suspense that mark the work of a competent, capable novelist. This is a mystery of generous and profound complexity. The usual conceits of the genre, red herrings, set pieces, and subplots are used to advance the story; but there is no overuse. What drives the plot is action and dialogue faithful to the personalities of the characters. Because we witness the great arc of a good story spiced with telling details and justifiable clues, it is evident that Ms. Heusler has been reared and bred on the classical mystery. But Ms. Heusler's strength as a writer is not limited to her knowledge of craft. The Night The Penningtons Vanished introduces us to believable teen sleuths whose company we thoroughly enjoy. These teens merit a sequel or, better yet, a series.
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Summary: AuthorZone.Com Book Review
Review: Isabella Ripa knows she is not to open the door to the boutique when Aunt Tallulah is not present. However the elegant woman at the door is so desperate Isabella does so anyway. Thus Isabella begins an adventure filled with murder, disappearance, conspiracy, machination and intrigue. Isabella and her older sister are wards of her aunt since her father's death and abandonment by her mother. Isabella and her two closest friends Vicki and Lauren set out to discover what has become of the Penningtons. The search leads them to almost becoming victims of a desperate con man who has already killed and is ready to murder again. On the pages of The Night The Penningtons Vanished Writer Huesler proves her versatility. Her first book Buried in the Townhouse was a delightful mystery. The Night The Penningtons Vanished is a mystery, however this one is for the younger set. The Night The Penningtons Vanished is a well-crafted novel filled with delightful characters. Isabella is overweight, eats too much and like her friends is prone to jump to conclusions much like many fifteen-year-olds in our society. Vicki and Lauren prove perfect foils to Isabella's sleuthing. Carla the older sister is a self-centered girl, mad at the world, won't study, driving Aunt Tallulah up the wall. Again much as we find in many seventeen-year-olds. Dialog between the characters is believable as the girls scrap among themselves, spar with Aunt Tallulah and pick scenarios out of the air to explain what is happening. Writer Heusler's affinity for description serves her well, the reader is drawn right into settings, we feel the cold, taste the bitter, see the frightening. This is a book sure to please many mature middle school readers as well as the young adult set. Parents, teachers and home schoolers alike will find the book a valuable addition to their library. Well done, happy to recommend. Reviewed by: molly martin
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Summary: (Penntastic ) Penningtons!
Review: Marianna Heusler has written an excellent young adult mystery... When a mysterious woman clad in fur enters the life of the protagonist, Isabella Ripa, trouble soon begins. Ripa, with the aid of her devoted friends, Lauren and Vicki, find themselves thrown into an investigation that seems to turn up suspense and danger at every turn. Petty larceny, the disappearance of an actress, unsettling photographs, and a home intruder that could only mean trouble, all connect in this original, intriguing mystery.
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Summary: A delightful mystery for young adult readers
Review: Money is a difficult thing to come by in the tiny western Massachusetts town of Floral Manor. Young Isabella Ripa yearns to be able to buy sweets and other things her impossible older sister Anna won't take away, yet her job at Aunt Tallulah's antique gift shop yields an almost nonexistent salary. Tallulah, herself strapped for cash, hopes a few smart purchases from an upcoming estate sale will yield profitable sales, and in turn save the business. Salvation, by Isabella's perception, seems to come in the form of a young woman looking to sell a birdcage and a pair of lovebirds named Mr. and Mrs. Pennington through the shop. A sale would bring in some money, Isabella concedes, but before she can tell her aunt the cage is stolen from the shop, Penningtons and all. What's more, the original owner of the birds is soon found murdered in her hotel. Sparred on by friends, Isabella reluctantly launches her own investigation, leading her to collect clues through encounters with the homeless and a nightmarish retreat weekend in an allegedly haunted abbey. It isn't long, however, before Isabella's worries switch from building a bank account to preserving her life. Reading THE NIGHT THE PENNINGTONS VANISHED brought back memories for me, of how much I looked forward to getting my next Nancy Drew mystery and plowing through the pages. Heusler's debut mystery for young adults is a delight to read, a story that doesn't talk down to its intended audience. In teenager Isabella there is a real person with whom young girls can identify, she is a girl dealing with typical pressures - money woes, weight issues, sibling problems - on top of a mystery. She is not the perfect titian-haired Nancy Drew and she does not have to be. We root for her when she counters sister Anna's abuse by charging her money to borrow things, and we applaud her reasoning when friend Vicki suggests a get rich quick scheme. More than that, we want to turn the pages of Heusler's novel to see what happens next. Heusler would be wise to continue this setting as a series.
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Summary: The Night The Penningtons Vanished
Review: The Night The Penningtons Vanished follows the adventures of Isabella Ripa and her two friends, Vicki and Lauren as they solve a murder mystery in the small town of Floral Park. This book manages to be spooky and comical at the same time. By the end of the book, Isabella has a new found respect for herself. Mrs. Heusler came to visit my classroom to introduce the book and the students who read the book absolutely loved it!
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Summary: The Night the Pennington's Vanished......... Molly's Reviews
Review: Title: . The Night The Penningtons Vanished Interesting read Recommended 5 stars The Review
On the pages of The Night The Penningtons Vanished Writer Huesler proves her versatility. Dialog between the characters is believable as the girls scrap among themselves, spar with Aunt Tallulah and pick scenarios out of the air to explain what is happening. Writer Heusler's affinity for description serves her well, the reader is drawn right into settings, we feel the cold, taste the bitter, see the frightening. Well done, happy to recommend. Reviewed by: molly martin ...
Rating:
Summary: The Night the Pennington's Vanished......... Molly's Reviews
Review: Title: . The Night The Penningtons Vanished Interesting read Recommended 5 stars The Review
On the pages of The Night The Penningtons Vanished Writer Huesler proves her versatility. Dialog between the characters is believable as the girls scrap among themselves, spar with Aunt Tallulah and pick scenarios out of the air to explain what is happening. Writer Heusler's affinity for description serves her well, the reader is drawn right into settings, we feel the cold, taste the bitter, see the frightening. Well done, happy to recommend. Reviewed by: molly martin ...
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