Description:
There's a good reason for the name of Daria Dupree's hair salon--Killer Looks. All of the stylists, including Daria herself, are convicted murderers who have served their time and are now trying to make new lives for themselves. Seventeen-year-old Barrie Dupree isn't thrilled by the prospect of staying with her ex-con mom while her dad and his wife spend a year in Europe, but she tries to make the best of a bad situation. She writes stories in her ever-present notebook and earns money at her mom's salon to buy the vintage paperbacks she immerses herself in at the local used bookstore. "After a week of hair chemicals, Barrie always prescribed for herself the blood-cleansing aroma of old books." When two of the salon's wealthiest customers are murdered, Barrie's settled routine is disrupted. Immediately, suspicion falls on Daria and her staff. Barrie is sure they are not to blame and begins to do a little sleuthing. Meanwhile, Daria must deal with escalating acts of vandalism. When Barrie discovers a forgotten receipt and combines that with the slip of a book clerk's tongue, she thinks she may have discovered the killer. But will Barrie be the next victim? Marsha Qualey, author of the riveting Thin Ice, has written another absorbing mystery for young adults. Her plot is fresh and original, with none of the tired teen-mystery stereotypes. Barrie and her mother are certainly no Nancy Drew and beloved dad! By adding Barrie's fractured relationship with her mother to the mystery stew, Qualey has ensured that this story will be gobbled up by more than just genre readers. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert
| 
