Blood Will Tell: A Point Last Seen Mystery

by April Henry

Overview

When a woman's body is found in a Portland park, suspicion falls on an awkward kid who lives only a few blocks away, a teen who collects knives, loves first-person shooter video games, and obsessively doodles violent scenes in his school notebooks. Nick Walker goes from being a member of Portland's Search and Rescue team to the prime suspect in a murder, his very interest in SAR seen as proof of his fascination with violence. How is this even possible? And can Alexis and Ruby find a way to help clear Nick's name before it's too late?

April Henry weaves another page-turning, high stakes mystery in Blood Will Tell, Book 2 of the Point Last Seen series.

This title has Common Core connections.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250080011
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Series:	Point Last Seen Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	294,102
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

April Henry is the New York Times–bestselling author of many acclaimed mysteries for adults and young adults, including the YA novels Girl, Stolen; The Night She Disappeared; and The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die; and the thriller Face of Betrayal, coauthored with Lis Wiehl.

Editorial Reviews

The author's expertise at plotting a murder mystery and knowledge of police procedure are evident.” —Publishers Weekly on The Body in the Woods, Point Last Seen

“Fast-moving and well-constructed . . . A quick, thrilling read that doesn't skimp on characterization.” —Kirkus Reviews on The Body in the Woods, Point Last Seen

“A psychological mystery wrapped in a thriller with a smart and resourceful heroine. Great read!” —Alexandra Sokoloff, screenwriter and bestselling thriller author of The Harrowing, on The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die

“A thrill-packed story with twists and turns you'll never see coming. Hop on board for an adrenaline fueled ride!” —CJ Lyons, New York Times–bestselling author of Blind Faith, on The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die

“The reader must wait with bated breath to see when and if the characters will uncover the truth as the suspense builds to a fever pitch near the end of the book.” —VOYA on The Night She Disappeared

“Fans of intense page-turners . . . will love this one.” —School Library Journal on The Night She Disappeared

“It's a riveting story. . . . Each chapter is a surprise, and the tension builds steadily until the inevitable climactic face off.” —Publishers Weekly on The Night She Disappeared

From the Publisher

06/01/2015
Gr 6 Up—Weeks following the events of The Body in the Woods (Holt, 2014), Alexis, Nick, and Ruby are still finding worth and friendship volunteering for the Portland Search and Rescue Team. They are called in to look for clues when a young woman is found murdered in a vacant lot in Nick's neighborhood. The Portland police are convinced that Nick is the prime suspect. Ruby and Alexis must find a way to hide their friend until they can find the real killer and clear Nick's name. However, the evidence points to either Nick or his brother as the killer. He is longer sure whom he can trust and whether he is prepared to face some very harsh truths. Similar to the previous volume, this work is a character-driven procedural, but this time most of the focus is on Nick and his situation. Alexis and Ruby only getting tertiary attention and development. And unfortunately, Detective Harriman and the Portland Police Department are contrived and one-dimensional, coming off as narrow-minded when they settle immediately and unwaveringly on an easy solution without exploring other possibilities. Once Nick becomes a suspect, the pace picks up considerably, but it is too slow in the previous chapters. Readers more interested in action-packed thrillers may have given up by then. VERDICT Not as strong as the first title, but this selection will satisfy faithful fans, who will anticipate the next installment in the series.—Erik Knapp, Davis Library, Plano, TX

School Library Journal

2015-03-17
A teenage sleuth becomes the prime suspect in a heinous murder case in Portland, Oregon. Nick Walker isn't the most popular kid around, but he's felt at home working for the Portland Search and Rescue team. With crush Alexis and friend Ruby at his side, Nick has helped the police many times. When a woman's body is discovered six blocks from his apartment, Nick thinks nothing of jumping into action with his SAR team. But things quickly go south when circumstantial evidence places Nick at the scene of the murder and the police do a bit more digging. Soon Nick's world is turned upside down as secrets are revealed and friends become foes. The mystery moves along at a nice pace, mixing broad character strokes with chunks of investigative exposition, evoking the feel of a solid episode of Law and Order or C.S.I. Henry tips her hand a bit by providing chapters from the killer's point of view, thus negating some of the dramatic tension. The book's climax also feels a bit rushed, with exposition and action flying fast and leaving character in the dust. Regardless, the slow burn leading up to this climax with the ground disappearing beneath Nick's feet is solid entertainment. A sturdy if formulaic mystery. (Mystery. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews