Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery (Book 1)

published	May 1st 2006 by HarperTrophy
first published	2005
binding	Paperback
isbn	0060737034 (isbn13: 9780060737030)
pages	448
description	Welcome to Echo Falls, home of a thousand secrets. Ingrid is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or at least her shoes are. And getting them back...more [close] Welcome to Echo Falls, home of a thousand secrets. Ingrid is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or at least her shoes are. And getting them back will mean getting tangled up in a murder investigation as complicated as the mysteries solved by her idol, Sherlock Holmes. With soccer practice, schoolwork, and the lead role in her town’s production of Alice in Wonderland, Ingrid is swamped. But as things in Echo Falls keep getting curiouser and curiouser, Ingrid realizes she must solve the murder on her own -- before it’s too late! [close]
date added	02-09-07 edit book

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Janis rated it:

(review of isbn 0060737026)

01/21/08

bookshelves: childrens-mystery, preteens, read-in-2008, recently-read

Read in January, 2008

recommends it for: 1st in series

First let me say I liked this story, really I did. I think many kids will as well. In light of what I'm about to say I should also make it clear that I felt Ingrid was a basically good kid.

It seems to me there are three types of amateur sleuths,
1. Those who try to go to the authorities but are dismissed, 2. Those who are assisting the authorities, and
3. Those who do not even try to go to the authorities first.

Ingrid falls in the third category.

I realize that in reading...more First let me say I liked this story, really I did. I think many kids will as well. In light of what I'm about to say I should also make it clear that I felt Ingrid was a basically good kid.

It seems to me there are three types of amateur sleuths,
1. Those who try to go to the authorities but are dismissed, 2. Those who are assisting the authorities, and
3. Those who do not even try to go to the authorities first.

Ingrid falls in the third category.

I realize that in reading this kind of story we need to put aside that voice of common sense that shouts, "just go to the police!!", keeping in mind that if the protagonist had done the sensible thing we wouldn't have a story. Or at least we'd have quite a different story. But since the amateur in this case is a 13 year old girl I found that voice harder to silence, especially when her poor judgement caused her to do increasingly more troubling things. The worst to my sensible, responsible adult mind was in "borrowing" her grandfather's car. I'm not an old fuddy duddy, really I'm not. And I do realize this is a kid's book. Typically I'm not so bothered by stories where kids avoid going to adults when in real life they should. But I really had a hard time with that.

It is clear in the story that Ingrid's attempts to cover up her first lie by omission causes her increasing levels of angst and stress. It certainly is a lesson in the fact that once you tell a lie (even by omission) you'll need to tell bigger and bigger lies to keep it covered up. And in Ingrid's case doing increasingly wrong things as well. Ingrid digs herself a bigger and bigger hole, but never decides to get herself out of the mess by telling the truth to her parents and/or the police. I just found it harder to suspend disbelief as the story went on. I'm not sure even at the end she learned she'd have been better off just to 'fess up from the start.

I think most parents who have sensible kids shouldn't have much of a problem with them reading this book. Those who have children who understand that just because a kid gets away with doing certian things in a story doesn't mean it's ok, or smart, in real life. Although most children reading this book will be not be material witnesses to crime (we hope), parents may want to use this as an opportunity to explain to their children how Ingrid's behavior is not good judgment, and how much better things would have been for her as well if she'd just told the police what she knew from the start.

(more) For Parents - regular use of "Oh, my God", story does involve a murder mystery....less

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4 comments

Terry rated it:

02/02/08

bookshelves: cdcs-young-adult

Read in January, 2008

Stephen King was right--I couldn't put this book down! Next to Harry Potter, this is probably the best "young adult" lit I've read. I say that in quotes because, like Harry Potter, this book is so much more than a young adult novel. It's like a good film that works on multiple levels by not being condescending to the kid audience, but with enough hidden references for the adult one (and not obnoxiously done like in the latter Shrek movies; no, the references here are to icons like Ingr...more Stephen King was right--I couldn't put this book down! Next to Harry Potter, this is probably the best "young adult" lit I've read. I say that in quotes because, like Harry Potter, this book is so much more than a young adult novel. It's like a good film that works on multiple levels by not being condescending to the kid audience, but with enough hidden references for the adult one (and not obnoxiously done like in the latter Shrek movies; no, the references here are to icons like Ingrid Bergman, Gaslight, Babara Stanwyck, etc.). The plot of the book believably follows intrepid heroine Ingrid, an 8th grade student and star soccer player, who inadvertently gets involved in a murder after leaving the orthodontist's office on her own in order to get to soccer practice on time. She is helped getting to the field by an old woman (I so-wished her name was 'Cracked-Out' instead of Cracked-Up Katie, but a small quibble) who is killed right after helping Ingrid into a cab to get to practice. The book takes a turn toward Gaslight as the criminal becomes obvious (another small quibble). But the story becomes more about Ingrid's life and attempt to outwit the guilty party--a la the aforementioned Gaslight, or Rebecca or Shadow of a Doubt. This works because the characterization is fantastic: Grampy (Ingrid's grandfather who defiantly stands up to his own family and land developers and teaches Ingrid to drive and shoot), Ty (Ingrid's older brother, an up-and-coming star football player), Ingrid's workaholic mom, Ingrid's dad (caught between a rock and a hard place when his boss wants to develop his father-in-law's land), Joey (son of the police chief and principal love interest), and Nigel the dog (who Ingrid finds in the forest and then proceeds to follow her everywhere--I so wish my dogs would do that). All the characters are involving, no one a throwaway. It doesn't hurt either that they're in a crackerjack plot involving an evil math teacher, a play production of Alice in Wonderland, first love, a daring escape involving a waterfall, and a sheriff who is only half a step behind Ingrid. I can't recommend this book highly enough for people looking for realistic escapism....less

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Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery (Book 1)

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