Review Detail

Kaylani McKinnon doesn't want to leave Brooklyn for a summer visit to Martha's Vineyard. Her father is in prison for embezzling from his employer, and Kaylani knows he's innocent. She has an offer to live in a mansion on the island with the wealthy Watson family, her father's former employers. Once on the island, a murder occurs, and Kaylani is swept into figuring out what really happened. Little by little, Kaylani finds not all is what it seems, including the family she's staying with. Her investigation starts turning up things that might have links to not only the murder but also her father's imprisonment. But if she's not careful, she might be next.

What worked: Engaging diverse mystery, suspense set on Martha's Vineyard. I'm a huge fan of Tiffany Jackson's YA novels, and her latest middle-grade novel doesn't disappoint!

Kaylani wants to be a lawyer when she's older, and it's those skills she uses to help find out who murdered Chadwick, someone who used to date Cassie Watson, the daughter of the family Kaylani is staying with. Kaylani senses something isn't right, and with the help of Miles, Chadwick's younger brother, she searches for what really happened.

There's many clues woven throughout and a cast of characters that are multi-layered in their complexity. London and Kaylani were best friends when they were younger, and the 'new' London is a bit of a snub. But there are cracks in her armor when she is around Kaylani. I liked Miles and Kaylani working together. Their friendship helps Kaylani, especially after all her family went through when her father was put in prison.

I 'get' why Kaylani wouldn't want to go to the island, even if it meant going to a mansion for the summer. Her father's imprisonment is something she knows is wrong. Once on the island, though, she uses her sharp mind to put pieces of a murder mystery together.

I also liked some of the history of Blacks in Martha's Vineyard. I wanted to know more!

Loved the cover, which is evocative and gives a middle-grade Jordan Peele meets Goosebumps horror feel.

Great summer, Who Done It, with a diverse cast of characters.