About That Night

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