Angie Frazier's The Midnight Tunnel: A Suzanna Snow Mystery (Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway!)

Summary/Cover Image from Author's Website:

Suzanna knows what happened in the midnight tunnel, so why won’t anyone believe her?

Suzanna “Zanna” Snow has sleuthing in her blood.

With the famous Bostonian detective, Bruce Snow, as her uncle, she knows she has more than just a pinch of investigative talent. But nothing out of the ordinary ever happens in the sleepy coastal town of Loch Harbor, New Brunswick. Instead of sharpening her detective skills, she’s stuck serving tea and learning how to be a “proper lady” at the Rosemount, an exclusive summer hotel under her parents’impeccable management.

Everything changes one night during a thunderstorm, when one of the hotel guests, a young girl, goes missing. Zanna is certain she has clues that lead tothe girl, but only her friends, Lucy and Isaac, believe her. When detective Bruce Snow is called in, Zanna sees her chance to help solve the case. But everything is not what it seems, and as the mystery thickens, Zanna begins to suspect another crime is unfolding. And if her instincts prove correct, she’s sleuthed her way into a grave amount of danger.

Review:

Adorable and full of suspense and intrigue, the first addition in the Suzanne Snow series is sure to be a hit among pre-teens as well as teens.

The Midnight Tunnel begins the story of the young Suzanne Snow. If Suzanne were given one wish, she would most definitely wish to be a detective, because not only is her uncle the infamous Bruce Snow, Boston's most prized detective, but she also has an uncanny talent for sleuthing. Unfortunately, given her surroundings and the time, she's unable to gain much experience in her desired field...that is until a girl goes missing from her parent's hotel. Recruiting her two trustworthy friends, Isaac and Lucy, Suzanne's ready to find the missing girl as well as the solution to this mystifying puzzle. However, what happens when her famous uncle makes a grand entrance with a surprising guest? Better yet, when given the biggest clue to her the case, will she be able to solve it finally- even if it means telling on a fellow friend? Only time and more pages will tell in this fast-paced mystery that sure to leave any reader questioning the case right along with Suzanne.

One of my favorite parts of this novel would have to be the characters. For example, Suzanne Snow is very much the next Nancy Drew. Smart and talented, she’s one girl who will go to any length to bring justice to the world, even if it means taking some slippery and dangerous turns along the way. I also adored the addition of Isaac and Lucy, her two friends. Isaac is not only a pre-teen angler but also one to bring some hilarious lines as well as heart into the story, while Lucy is a sweet yet cunning girl full of her own mysterious secrets.

Angie Frazier also did a great job of making this mystery a lot of fun as well as enjoyable for nearly any age group. I loved the way she had the storyline keep me on the tip of my toes and making my own assumptions right along with Suzanne for the majority of the story. More importantly, I enjoyed the way Angie brought the setting of this alive as well. From the hotel guests to detailed setting descriptions, it was easy to imagine everything as it was taking place.

Full of page-flipping fun, Suzanne Snow is on the track to becoming the Nancy Drew of this generation, and I simply cannot wait to see where Angie takes her story next.

Grade: A-

The Midnight Tunnel: A Suzanna Snow Mystery is now out!

Source: Teen Book Scene/Publisher- thanks Scholastic!

~~

Guest Post:

Growing up, I loved the television show Unsolved Mysteries (which has been long since cancelled—and yes, I realize I’m dating myself!). Each show would walk the viewers through reenactments of crimes that had never been solved, with facts and witnesses, suspects and theories. It was fascinating to see a crime pieced together, to listen to the detectives and police officers tell me what they knew. But what was even more interesting was what they didn’t know.

When it comes to history, a lot of people envision dusty bookshelves, endless dates to memorize, and droning professors in tweed suits and magnified eyeglasses. Not me. I see the mystery in history. Like a police investigation, I see a time, place, event, or person I know little to nothing about, and I’m drawn to fill in the blanks. Researching for a book I want to write is half the fun of the project. Take Suzanna Snow’s day and age—New Brunswick, Canada in 1904. I’ve been to New Brunswick, and I stayed a few days and nights in the grand hotel and small coastal village in which I based Loch Harbor and the Rosemount hotel on. But I definitely have never been to 1904. How did people live? What did they wear? What did they eat? How did they entertain themselves? What would have been scandalous to them? Maybe most people wouldn’t care, but the answers to my research questions are little mysteries for me to solve. As the author, it’s my job to get it as close to straight as possible.

And just like what Unsolved Mysteries always tried to do, I need to present the most authentic picture as possible. I gather what I can and then I do my best to give readers a clear, trustworthy look at the world inside my book. I’ve discovered that it’s the smallest details that really add flavor and setting to a story. For example, I wanted to write a scene where Suzanna needed to slip a note to her partner, Will. She happened to be preparing lunch at the Rosemount. My goal wasn’t to stop the story to describe what it was the guests were eating that day for lunch, but to work the details into the flow of the action. So when Suzanna drops a plate and the contents crash to the floor, that was my chance to sprinkle in some detail.

I’ve been told that my historical fiction doesn’t feel like a history lesson, and that is such a great compliment! Hearing that means I’ve maybe—just maybe—changed someone’s mind about history being boring.

~~

Thanks so much, Angie! Loved the gust post, and I have to to agree- your historical fiction dosen't seem like a history lesson one bit.

~~

Giveaway:

I also have on ARC of The Midnight Tunnel up for grabs. If you would like to enter, please fill out the following form.

Here are the official rules:

~ Must be 13 years or older to enter.
~ Must have a US mailing address you can use.
~ This giveaway will close on March 11, 2011!

To find out more about Angie and her books, be sure to visit her website here.

*This tour was brought to you by The Teen {Book} Scene.*

Everlasting by Angie Frazier

Summary from Amazon:

Sailing aboard her father's ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a lady in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn't love in order to preseve her social standing. On her last voyage before the wedding, Camille learns the mother she has always believed dead is in fact alive and in Australia. When their Sydney-bound ship goes down in a gale, and her father dies, Camille sets out to find her mother and a map in her possession - a map believed to lead to a stone that once belonged to the legendary civilization of the  immortals. The stone can do exactly what Camille wants most: bring someone back from the dead. Unfortunately, her father's adversary is also on the hunt for the stone, and she must race him to it. The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar - a handsome young sailor and her father's first mate - who is in love with Camille and whom she is inexplicably drawn to despite his low social standing and her pending wedding vows.

With an Australian card shark acting as their guide, Camille eludes murderous bushrangers, traverses dangerous highlands, evades a curse placed on the stone, and unravels the mystery behind her mother's disappearance sixteen years earlier. But when another death shakes her conviction to resurrect her father, Camille must choose what - and who - matters most.

Review:

Ever since I first heard about Everlasting, I've been dying to read it. Since not only did the premise sound promising, but the cover is absolutely stunning! Luckily, Everlasting proved to be a beautifully written and stunning debut that I could just not get enough of it!

Camille is a girl torn between two worlds: one that involves what her late father wanted most for her and the one that her heart craves; leaving Everlasting to be a novel in which she discovers where she wants to be among many other things. Camille was crafted to be a strong protagonist, and one whose emotions just radiated of the page from the start and took hold of me as I too went along on her journey to find several items and people who were lost to her. Oscar was another character who managed to take hold of me as I learned more about him and saw his (adorable, if I must say so myself) relationship develop with Camille. I loved reading about their interactions with each other because they often managed to bring a smile to face and for me to go 'Aww!' to myself. Lastly, I adored Ira, who often managed to bring a chuckle or two out of me, and Samuel, who while wasn't always the best guy managed to win me over by the end.

When I first saw the premise I thought it screamed "Interesting" and "Read ASAP!" and it lived up to my assumptions, thankfully. Since mixed together with the Angie's stunning writing, fun and likable characters, an alluring mystery, a race against time, and a forbidden romance Everlasting managed to have the best of all worlds! Adding to that, I loved the twists and turns it took that forever kept you guessing!

Though, with saying that, I do feel like Everlasting had the tendency to drag a times, but it would only last for a couple of pages and pick right up again. Leaving this to be a mostly minuscule problem overall.

In all, Everlasting a book that calls to be read this summer, and if you don't give it a chance, you're missing out big time!

And Angie, if you're reading this, great job! I'm truly looking forward to reading Everlasting #2! :)

Grade: A-

Source: Publisher for review.

Everlasting will be released June 1, 2010!