The Silence of Murder

Gr 8 Up—Sixteen-year-old Hope Long's older brother, Jeremy, is on trial for the murder of a popular baseball coach. Jeremy is autistic, hasn't spoken in nine years by choice, and refuses to write down what actually happened. Hope is determined to prove that her brother is not guilty. Is he protecting someone, or is he as guilty as the circumstantial evidence leads everyone to believe? Jeremy's lawyer and his mother both want Hope to support their plea of not guilty by reason of insanity defense, but Hope hates the idea. With the help of her best friend, T.J., and the sheriff's attractive son, Chase, Hope tries to find evidence that will prove her brother's innocence. Mackall won the Edgar Award for this mystery (Knopf, 2011) which very slowly (too slowly) builds suspense as clues gradually surface. Everyone important to Hope becomes a suspect, and long-standing family secrets are revealed. Emily Rankin (who has narrated numerous audiobooks as Emily Janice Card) does her usual superlative job of reading this first person narrative, showing Hope's tenacity, confusion, and loss of innocence as the story progresses. A good purchase where mysteries are in demand.—Julie Paladino, East Chapel Hill High School, Chapel Hill, NC