Debut author Summer’s series kickoff accompanies its shrewd protagonist on a myriad of escapades as one of the best “fixers” in Chicago. At first, 15-year-old Julep Dupree is content to run small-time cons for a fee and a favor—finagling a geek’s date to a dance with a popular girl or fabricating fake IDs for St. Agatha’s Preparatory School’s precocious socialites. But when her apartment is ransacked and her father (also a hustler) goes missing, Julep must figure out who is responsible, even if it means getting suspended from school, risking foster care, evading the FBI, and hunting down a Ukrainian mob kingpin. Julep’s investigations and quick escapes keep the high-stakes story entertaining and readers guessing, yet her inability to read some characters’ all-too-obvious motives is surprising given her wealth of talents as a grifter. Scenes involving a gun battle, a stabbing, an explosion, and a surprising death make for action-packed albeit gruesome reading, and enticing clues dropped at the end of the novel pave the way for Julep’s next tussle. Ages 12–up. (Oct.)
Originally in print and posted on PublishersWeekly.com August 18, 2014
Alexis Burling 