The Dead Girls Detective Agency

Pop quiz: What would you do if you had to solve your own murder to get anywhere in death? Maybe if I hadn't slept through my alarm, slammed into Kristin—my high school's reigning mean girl—or stepped in a puddle, destroying my mom's new suede DVF boots (which I borrowed without asking), I wouldn't have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I wouldn't have been pushed in front of that arriving train. But I did, and I was. When I came to, I was informed by a group of girls that I'm dead. And that because I died under mysterious circumstances, I can't pass straight over to the Other Side. But at least I'm not alone. Meet the Dead Girls Detective Agency: Nancy, Lorna, and Tess—not to mention Edison, the really cute if slightly hostile dead boy. Apparently, the only way out of this limbo is to figure out who killed me, or I'll have to spend eternity playing Nancy Drew. Considering I was fairly invisible in life, who could hate me enough to want me dead? And what if my murderer is someone I never would have suspected? From BooklistOne minute, 16-year-old Charlotte was waiting to get on the F train, and the next, she wakes up on the lobby floor of the Hotel Attesa—a kind of limbo for murdered teens! What’s a girl to do? Charlotte learns that she has to figure out who pushed her onto the tracks before she can get her key and go through the Red Door to the Other Side. There to help are other teen ghosts; methodical Nancy, fashion-obsessed Lorna, and hostile Tess, the self-named Dead Girls Detective Agency, introduce Charlotte to the ins and outs of the afterlife. Charlotte’s investigation leads to more questions than answers. Why is her former devoted boyfriend sucking face with the hottest, most popular girl in school? Who is leaving letters in his locker? All the clues add up to an entertaining romp in this story pitting teen Nancy Drews against mortal mean girls. For those who like their paranormal delivered with a wink and a smile, this one wraps up satisfyingly, with the door creaking ajar for future cases. Grades 8-12. --Lynn Rutan Review“…Engaging. Cox’s storytelling is well paced…Fans of urban fantasy will enjoy this book.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) )“An entertaining romp” (Booklist )