Kisses and Lies

May 1, 2009
Gr 8 Up-Henderson draws readers once again into the world of young British socialites in a book fraught with tension, romance, and adventure. Since the mysterious death of her crush, Dan, at her first posh party ever in "Kiss Me Kill Me" (Delacorte, 2008), Scarlett has switched to a different school and lives in perpetual fear that someone will figure out that she is "the Kiss of Death Girl." Teaming up with her new friend Taylor, a no-nonsense American, she decides to clear her name. Dan died of an allergic reaction and the two amateur sleuths learn that his EpiPen was stolen by one of two girls who own the same limited edition handbag. After clearing her archrival, Plum, of suspicion (unfortunately), Scarlett heads to Dan's home in Scotland to track down the other suspect. There she meets Callum, Dan's identical twin, whom she soon finds may also be in mortal danger. Beginning to fear for her own life, the teen longs for the safety she feels with Jase, a young groundskeeper she just met. Scarlett functions in an elite world of aristocrats and though this social setting may be unfamiliar to American youngsters, they will relate to her voice as she perseveres through teen angst and some extraordinary circumstances. With just the right balance of action and relationship drama, this book hits the target for libraries with strong chick-lit or mystery fans."Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2009
Grades 9-12 Scarlett Wakefield, the British orphan heiress from Kiss Me Kill Me (2008) is back, trying to figure out who used her as a tool to poison her longtime crush, Dan McAndrew. After an entertaining adventure spying on snobby socialites in posh London nightclubs, Scarlett and her tough chum Taylor end up in Scotland at the McAndrews ancestral home, where they discover any number of people in Dans own family who might have engineered his death. The tidy ending and surprise hook to the next volume are somewhat contrived, but Henderson sustains the quick pace, sympathetic heroine, and satisfying romance of the first title.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2009
With a little help from her friends (and a few convenient plot twists), plucky Scarlett Wakefield continues her quest to unravel the murder that happened in Kiss Me Kill Me. The mystery is fast paced and the posh British setting adds an element of glamour, but Scarlett's social dramas and her seemingly endless ruminations detract from the action.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)