About That Night

by Norah McClintock

Overview

In the depths of winter, a popular former teacher wanders off into the snow—but she's not the only one to go missing that night.

When Jodie's ex-boyfriend, school bad boy Ronan, shows up, Jordie decides that maybe Derek isn’t the one after all. But before she can end it with him, Derek disappears. Did he run away? Or did something happen to him? Is there a connection between the disappearances? As Jordie slowly starts unraveling the truth, she finds that nothing about that night is as it seems. When she finds Derek’s body, suspicion falls on her. And then on Ronan. But Jordie knows she didn’t kill Derek. And she is sure Ronan didn’t. So who is responsible? And why was Derek marked for death?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459805965
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	09/01/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	248
Lexile:	HL720L (what's this?)
File size:	788 KB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Norah McClintock won the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for crime fiction for young people five times. She wrote more than sixty YA novels, including contributions to Seven (the series), the Seven Sequels and the Secrets series.

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2014
Gr 7–10—Despite McClintock's strong reputation for page-turning mysteries, her latest novel, sadly, does not deliver. The premise—two missing persons later found dead and an angry ex-boyfriend looking for retribution—certainly has potential. The novel opens with Jordie vacillating between her too-good-to-be-true boyfriend Derek and her bad boy ex, Ronan. Ronan accuses Derek of stealing a bracelet he once gave to Jordie, and he demands Derek return it. After an argument, Derek leaves Jordie's house and is never seen alive again. That same night, a beloved former schoolteacher suffering from Alzheimer's also disappears. Too much time is spent listening to Jordie ruminate on Ronan's innocence (not Derek's death) in lieu of creating tension. For someone who initially appears intelligent, it does not dawn on Jordie that if she must lie for Ronan, something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Despite the promising premise, the flat writing, stale characters, and loose ends (the teacher disappears from the story and seems peripheral to the rest of the narrative) do not render this a compelling read. Readers may see a glimmer of hope at the novel's end when it appears McClintock has purposefully misled in order to deliver a twist, however, this is merely a tease and no solid resolution is achieved. Ultimately, this mystery lacks action, suspense, and a verdict, the very elements that readers of whodunits find gratifying.—Laura Falli, McNeil High School, Austin, TX

School Library Journal

07/28/2014
McClintock (the Mike & Riel Mysteries series) offers a slow-burning whodunit set in a snowy small town around Christmas. Sixteen-year-old Jordie Cross’s ostensibly perfect boyfriend, Derek, is staying with her family for the holidays when Ronan, her volatile ex, shows up, accusing Derek of taking a bracelet he gave Jordie. After Jordie can’t find the gift, she interrogates Derek, who sneaks out to retrieve a bracelet he claims he bought her recently, to prove his innocence and devotion. Soon after, both Derek and a beloved local teacher are found dead, and Ronan is the prime suspect. Lt. Michael Diehl, the late teacher’s husband, returns from leave to investigate, but it’s clear from the beginning that Jordie will be the one to solve the case and clear Ronan’s name. McClintock’s third-person, present-tense narration maintains a detached, procedural tone as it shifts attention among several characters, sharing snippets of their histories, establishing the novel’s small-town setting, and creating many suspects. The details that McClintock meticulously places throughout the story lead to an ending that resists tying everything up too neatly. Ages 12–up. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"A suspenseful, fast-moving mystery that will hook readers from the very first page...The novel moves like a film, cutting rapidly from scene to scene and character to character. The text is masterfully executed, with all the hints and red herrings a good mystery should offer...The romantic conflicts at the centre of the novel may draw in YA readers who wouldn't normally read a mystery, and the breakneck pace should keep them engaged. Avid mystery fans may connect the plot details before the characters themselves do, but even then various twists and turns will keep readers guessing right up to the last sentence and maybe after. Norah McClintock is a talented writer, and this taut, deftly plotted novel is an excellent choice for mystery readers, readers who prefer a high-action plot, and anyone who enjoys a well- told story."

Resource Links

"[An] intriguing whodunit...The story is well-paced and entices the reader to find out the truth."

Calgary Herald

"This teen thriller includes suspense, mystery, and intrigue...Jordie’s actions are true to life and will resonate with readers."

Library Media Connection

"Derek becomes such a fully rounded character that the reader comes to feel his absence as acutely as if they knew him. When the resolution arrives...it is surprising and satisfying, the hallmark of a well-written mystery."

Quill & Quire

"McClintock avoids the usual patterns of murder mysteries, relying on detailed and believable characterizations that round out the plentiful plot twists. When she does employ a frequently used device, the characters often comment on it ironically, bringing the reader into the joke. Mystery fans will appreciate the thoughtful plotting, the complex characters, and an ambiguous ending that guarantees readers will be mulling over the story long after they finish. Of special note are the descriptions of landscape and weather: cold, forbidding, and characters in themselves, with their own secrets and dangers."

Booklist

"McClintock spins the tale and its readers off to a messy and deliciously troubling conclusion that will confound many expectations. Scenes focalized through a single character’s perspective enrich the cast personalities, and Jordie’s emotional tug-of-war between late good guy Derek and live brooding Ronan adds a dash of romantic angst. Love and murder: a great combination for teen reading on a cold winter’s night."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"A fast-paced read that will hold readers’ attention from beginning to end, and perhaps leave them with questions they didn’t expect."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"[An] intriguing whodunit...The story is well-paced and entices the reader to find out the truth."

The Calgary Herald

"Fast, fun, and surprising!"

All Book Reviewer blog

"McClintock avoids the usual patterns of murder mysteries, relying on detailed and believable characterizations that round out the plentiful plot twists. When she does employ a frequently used device, the characters often comment on it ironically, bringing the reader into the joke. Mystery fans will appreciate the thoughtful plotting, the complex characters, and an ambiguous ending that guarantees readers will be mulling over the story long after they finish. Of special note are the descriptions of landscape and weather: cold, forbidding, and characters in themselves, with their own secrets and dangers."

Booklist Online

"Exciting and intriguing from the very beginning."

In the Violet-Grey Room blog

"A fast-paced read that will hold readers’ attention from beginning to end, and perhaps leave them with questions they didn’t expect."

CM Magazine

"McClintock spins the tale and its readers off to a messy and deliciously troubling conclusion that will confound many expectations. Scenes focalized through a single character’s perspective enrich the cast personalities, and Jordie’s emotional tug-of-war between late good guy Derek and live brooding Ronan adds a dash of romantic angst. Love and murder: a great combination for teen reading on a cold winter’s night."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

2014-07-22
The discovery of two bodies yields numerous suspects.With its unspecified setting, this Canadian import could take place in almost any snowy small town in North America. One night during the Christmas holiday, a police lieutenant's wife suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disappears and is later found frozen and dead. This unfortunate event is soon overshadowed by an even greater tragedy that same evening: the unexpected murder of high school student Derek Maugham. When it's discovered that his girlfriend, Jordie, was possibly the last to see him alive—and after a dispute no less—she becomes one of the main suspects. An omniscient narrator focuses on the clues and motives rather than characterization as Jordie (as well as the police) tries to find the real killer. And as she pieces together the whereabouts of her missing bracelet that's related to the case, she discovers that she's not the only one with secrets to hide—about both deaths. The teens don't always sound their age ("how can anything be an anniversary after only one-sixth of an annum?"), but their mature speech, combined with plenty of adult characters, makes this a great crossover novel. The present-tense narration helps keep the mystery taut with concise pacing. A classic whodunit. (Mystery. 13 & up)

Kirkus Reviews