The Girl is Murder (The Girl is Murder, #1)

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The Girl is Murder (The Girl is Murder #1)

by Kathryn Miller Haines (Goodreads Author)

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 · rating details · 697 ratings · 168 reviews

Iris Anderson is only 15, but she's quickly mastering the art of deception in this YA novel for fans of Veronica Mars.

It's the Fall of 1942 and Iris's world is rapidly changing. Her Pop is back from the war with a missing leg, limiting his ability to do the physically grueling part of his detective work. Iris is dying to help, especially when she discovers that one of Pop'

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Hardcover, 352 pages

Published July 19th 2011 by Roaring Brook Press

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Aug 04, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, online-book-group, ya-fiction

Why I picked it up: A review I read compared main character Iris to Veronica Mars. I nominated it for my GR YA Historical Fiction group’s monthly selection based on that alone.

Iris is 15 in 1942 and her life has changed a whole lot in the past year. Her father was injured at Pearl Harbor and is now home trying to make his detective agency work as an amputee with an artificial leg. Her mother committed suicide after learning that her husband would be coming home without a limb. She and her father...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Aaron rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a pretty fun and interesting read. Set on the Home Front of World War II almost a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, this story introduces readers to New Yorker Iris Anderson, a high school student who recently had to transfer from a local private school to the nearby public school. Her father, who lost his leg in the war, is a private detective, which seems to be quite helpful when a boy at her school mysteriously disappears.

Tom Barney is a dashing lad, who is known for constantly...more This was a pretty fun and interesting read. Set on the Home Front of World War II almost a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, this story introduces readers to New Yorker Iris Anderson, a high school student who recently had to transfer from a local private school to the nearby public school. Her father, who lost his leg in the war, is a private detective, which seems to be quite helpful when a boy at her school mysteriously disappears.

Tom Barney is a dashing lad, who is known for constantly skirting trouble. As a result, it is not totally surprising that he has disappeared. Some believe that he could have runaway while others think he was murdered. His parents have come to Iris' dad with the hopes of him getting to the bottom of things.

Iris has always had an interest in the family business, and this would be like the perfect opportunity to jump in with both feet. Since she a student at the same high school as Tom, she could seek out clues and question suspects or witnesses with ease. No one would even suspect her.

While she is digging into the mystery, she is also having to navigate the complex social structure at PS 110. She has made a good friend with outcast Pearl, who works in the guidance office, and popular Suze also seems willing to give her a chance even if she doesn't understand Iris' willingness to hang out with Pearl.

This was an interesting period piece, though I thought the Home Front aspect was overshadowed a bit by the high school drama that is not only evident but almost seems more reflective of today's teens rather than those of yesteryear. With that said, I don't think teens would be all that bothered by that fact.

The bigger problem is the mystery itself, which is also overshadowed by the same thing. This becomes even more troublesome when the big reveal at the end regarding the case is quite underwhelming. At least, I found it really disappointing and boring.

The characters themselves seem to be stereotypes and a little underdeveloped, but that is not uncommon with noir. The characters also seem to read quite young. I am not sure if that is due to an attempt to capture the youth of the period or if the book is written more for a younger, middle school audience. The book does do a good job of representing the discriminating views that were evident in our culture of the time period.

The author is a well-known mystery writer for adults. A part of me wonders if this book will have far more appeal to the adult readers of Haines' other works than the teens themselves (Probably!). The sequel, The Girl Is Trouble has already been released. I am probably not going to bother reading it, which is surprising because I love mysteries, and I really enjoy the time period and the tone of noir.(less)

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Sep 15, 2012 Newport Librarians rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ms-kathy, ya-fiction

Iris Anderson finds herself suddenly without a mother, living with a father she barely knows, poor, and about to head off for her first day at a public school on the Lower East Side of Manhattan--a world away from the life of the Upper East Side private school girl she had so recently lived. Here's how author Kathryn Miller Haines describes Iris's first few moments at school: "From the moment I entered the doors of P. S. 110, I was dodging, ducking, and holding my breath, hoping that whatever I...more

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Sep 01, 2012 meeners rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, mystery

BLERRRRGGH i wish people would stop trying to call this a noir mystery. IT IS NOT. (otto penzler provides a great [and aptly indignant!] intro to what is noir at huffpo here. and if anyone is qualified to tell you what noir is, it's otto penzler.) in a related vein i wish people would stop calling iris a 1940s version of veronica mars. BLERRRRGGH SHE IS NOT. goodreads hivemind, you have cruelly betrayed my expectations. where were the sassy zingers? the hardboiled morality? the haunted past and...more

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Jul 09, 2012 M.E. rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the marks of a good book, to me, is that it grabs my attention and makes me focus on it - often to the point of keeping me up past my bedtime. It's been a long time since a book did that, but THE GIRL IS MURDER certainly did.

Set in 1941, the book follows Iris Anderson. She's fallen on hard times - mother dead, father crippled after Pearl Harbor, made to leave her all-girls private school and attend public school. She must learn to navigate a new social structure and mend her relationship...more

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May 13, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

If the TV show “Veronica Mars” and some 1940s-era Nancy Drew books got together and had a love child, it might be “The Girl is Murder” (Roaring Brook Press, 2011), by Kathryn Miller Haines.
It’s the fall of 1942, and fifteen year-old Iris Anderson’s world has turned upside down. Her father (“Pop”), a private detective, lost his leg at Pearl Harbor. Her mother, a German Jew, killed herself a short time later. Her mother’s inheritance has run dry, forcing father and daughter to move from their com...more
If the TV show “Veronica Mars” and some 1940s-era Nancy Drew books got together and had a love child, it might be “The Girl is Murder” (Roaring Brook Press, 2011), by Kathryn Miller Haines.
It’s the fall of 1942, and fifteen year-old Iris Anderson’s world has turned upside down. Her father (“Pop”), a private detective, lost his leg at Pearl Harbor. Her mother, a German Jew, killed herself a short time later. Her mother’s inheritance has run dry, forcing father and daughter to move from their comfortable Upper East Side apartment to a house shared with their Polish landlady in the Lower East Side. Pop’s disability makes it difficult for him to carry out the physically challenging side of his detective work, and they are perpetually behind on the rent. No more posh private all-girls school for Iris; she’s attending a public school for the first time.
Iris longs to help her Pop, especially when she learns that he is investigating the disappearance of Tom, one of the few people at her new school to show her some kindness. Pop steadfastly refuses her help (“This isn’t a business for little girls.”), but Iris is determined. Soon, good-girl Iris is sneaking out behind her father’s back and cozying up to the tough crowd at school. Lies pile upon lies as Iris, determined to crack the case, double-crosses even her friends.
“The Girl is Murder” crackles with 1940s-era slang (“Our Benny thinks you’re murder. . . . “You know—marvelous.”), the tough boys wear oversized Zoot Suits, and they all do the jitterbug at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. I did have some problems with the plot, particularly with an improbable coincidence that I hoped would be somehow explained in the end (it’s not). Nevertheless, Haines successfully captures the race, religion, and class issues of wartime New York City while delivering a fast-paced page-turner. Recommended for readers 12 and up—there is drinking, some drugs, and an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. If you like this book, you might want to check out the sequel, “The Girl is Trouble,” coming in July 2012.
“The Girl is Murder” was a nominee in the YA category for the prestigious Edgar Award, presented by the Mystery Writers of America. I’ll review the YA winner of the Edgar Award, “The Silence of Murder,” in my next column, but for now, you’ll have to excuse me. I’ve got to take a powder.

This review originally appeared in the Sunday, May 6 print edition of The News-Gazette. (less)

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Apr 11, 2012 Laura Salas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, young-adult, read-more-in-this-series

Terrific historical fiction mystery set in the early '40s in New York City. Iris' mother has committed suicide and her father lost a leg at Pearl Harbor. They've moved from the Upper East Side to the Lower, and Iris has switched from a private school to a public one. The mystery involves Tom, a boy from her school whom Iris meets and who then disappears. Iris' pop is a struggling private detective who is brought in on the case, and Iris is determined to give her unwelcome assistance. Supporting...more

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Mar 16, 2012 SharonJH Harman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Iris is a sixteen-year-old who decides to help her recent-amputee father with his detective agency, against his wishes. She is coping with her mother's suicide as well as her move to public school after years at an all girls' school. And it's 1942, at the height of WWII. A boy named Tom disappears at Iris' school, and Iris decides to help her dad solve the disappearance. The story itself was enjoyable to read, especially some of the details about 1942 New York City: the sailors everywhere, a Har...more

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Mar 16, 2012 John Clark rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Girl is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines, takes place in the early part of World War II in New York City and features a Jewish girl whose dad is a private detective who lost a leg during the battle of Pearl Harbor, and whose mother committed suicide with no explanation. Iris and her dad had to move to a poor section of the city and she was forced to transfer from a private school to a gritty public high school. Her family problems are exacerbated by her dad’s poorly fitting prosthesis which m...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Alex Baugh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: world-war-2

Veteran mystery writer Kathryn Miller Haines has penned her first YA mystery and like her adult mysteries, it is set in New York City during World War II. And though it is war time, the war seems to play the part of another character. The story isn’t war related, but the action couldn’t happen if there wasn’t a war happening.

It is the first day at her new school for 15 year old Iris Anderson and she is understandably nervous. A former student at the post Upper East Side private girls’ school, C...more Veteran mystery writer Kathryn Miller Haines has penned her first YA mystery and like her adult mysteries, it is set in New York City during World War II. And though it is war time, the war seems to play the part of another character. The story isn’t war related, but the action couldn’t happen if there wasn’t a war happening.

It is the first day at her new school for 15 year old Iris Anderson and she is understandably nervous. A former student at the post Upper East Side private girls’ school, Chapin, she is about to begin public school on the Lower East Side.
Just before her Pop came home from the war, having lost a leg at Pearl Harbor, her mother had inexplicably committed suicide. Now, out of money, Iris and her dad have moved into a cheaper place downtown, where he has resumed the detective business.
At school, the first person Iris meets is Suze, a tough girl smoking in the girls‘ room with her friends. But Iris and Suze actually manage to bond - Suze has a boyfriend in the army and Iris lies about her dad being home. She also meet Tom Barney, good looking guy who helps her find her class.

At home, Iris overhears a client telling her father he is dissatisfied with proving his wife’s unfaithfulness. Iris decides to help out, manages to get photos of the cheating wife, but her father gets angry instead of appreciating her efforts. He wants her to stay out of his business because she doesn’t know or understand how to properly detect.

But when Tom Barney goes missing, and Iris has capitalizes of her bond with Suze to get in good with Tom’s friends, she find she can’t stay out of her father’s business, especially when she learns there is a connection between Tom and her best friend from Chapin, the very well to do Grace Dunwitty.

Kathryn Miller Haines has created a realistic historical fiction novel and a good mystery, though in this first book od a series the mystery falls a little flat. But that is ok, because the real purpose of this novel is to introduce and familiarize the reader with Iris, her family, her friends, and her environment and Haines has done an excellent job at recreating 1942 New York.

And Iris is an interesting character. Once a happy, carefree girl who had whatever she wanted, she is now forced to become more ‘street smart‘ with her change of circumstances and, yes, she has taken up lieing to her father. Haines does a good job of making this change seem plausible. It doesn’t just happen, Iris makes all kinds of mistakes right from the start because she is impulsive and doesn’t always think things through very well. But she learns from her mistakes. Originally, I didn't care much for Iris, but she grew on me and I ended up finding her a very likable character.

I even liked the Rainbows, even though they were supposed to be the school badies - teens who cut classes, went dancing at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, and even smoke a lot and drink not so much. The girls dress suggestively. the boys go dancing in Zoot Suits. Haines includes a disturbing but realistic episode about the Zoot Suits, which were considered very unpatriotic because the large amount of material used to make them should have gone to the war effort. And there are other realistic touches throughout the book, adding to its appeal. When I was in high school in NYC, there were groups just like the Rainbows, even that many years later.

The story is fast paced, full of 1940s slang and so New Yorkish, I kept wanting an egg cream while I read it. Haines brings up and deals with issues around race, class and touches on religion, all very much a part of the time.

This book is recommended for readers age 12 and up.
This book was purchased for my personal library.(less)

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Feb 06, 2012 Pam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mysteries, ya

A nice twist on the WWII theme as this historical fiction book deals with the homefront and what it was like to be a teen girl at the beginning of the war. A father who loses a leg in Pearl Harbor after being stationed away from the family for 5 years comes home and tries to cope with civilian life and parenting a teenage girl he barely knows as a single parent because his wife has committed suicide. The daughter, Iris, is dealing with the death of her dear mother, arrival of her father, moving...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Taylor Smothers rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was decent, but I've gotta say, the cons definitely outweighed the pros. Here were some of the issues I had with this book: (SPOILER ALERT)

Tom was set up to be interesting and unique, but after one or two inconclusive conversations with Iris (protagonist) he disappears. You never really get to know him yet he was a major theme throughout the book. That was a definite downside.

The characters were a bit underdeveloped. Everyone who interacted closely and almost daily with Iris had a clos...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Alison (AlisonCanRead) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrenyalit

The Girl Is Murder is a great book for lovers of historical fiction or lovers of mysteries. The basic plot lines: girl playing detective to discover the whereabouts of a missing classmate; being the new girl at a poor public school; making and keeping friends; coming to terms with mother's suicide; dealing with decreased financial circumstances; developing relationship with previously absent father. While the story is set in 1942, the plot lines aren't unique to that time period - they could hav...more The Girl Is Murder is a great book for lovers of historical fiction or lovers of mysteries. The basic plot lines: girl playing detective to discover the whereabouts of a missing classmate; being the new girl at a poor public school; making and keeping friends; coming to terms with mother's suicide; dealing with decreased financial circumstances; developing relationship with previously absent father. While the story is set in 1942, the plot lines aren't unique to that time period - they could have occurred 500 years ago or yesterday. Moreover, the plot isn't particularly unique. But it's the 1942 world that sets the book apart.

There aren't that many books set on the homefront during World War II. And unlike most stories set in this time period, the War wasn't the main focus. Haines does a wonderful job of immersing the reader into 1942 culture. Where the War isn't a main character, cultural 1942 is. I loved seeing what a teenager in 1942 wore and listened to on the radio. Some aspects of Iris's life is unique to New York City, which is interesting in and of itself. Class, race, and national origin were very important in those days (they are perhaps equally important today but people are more subtle in their snobbery). We see a strong contrast in mannerisms, lifestyle, and dialogue between Upper East Side and Lower East Side New York City.

The strongest indication of the past in this book is the use of slang. It's everywhere. Particularly with Iris's friend Suze, hardly a sentence goes by with some 1940s phrase. This was fun at first, but it gets old. It's frustrating when all of the dialogue is slang. Granted, many characters do not use slang all the time, but there is still so much of it that the reader ends up rolling her eyes at the fake sounding dialogue. On the bright side, I did think it was interesting that Iris's use of slang increased the longer she was around her Lower East Side friends. It was an interesting way to show her development from Chapin girl to P.S. 110 girl.

The mystery element is quite good. This coming from someone who doesn't like mysteries. There were plenty of twists and turns, red herrings, and villains. I was quite surprised by the end result. That's not saying much though, because I'm horrible at guessing the solution to a mystery. However, there were an awful lot of coincidences. Tom, the missing boy, had an extraordinary amount of connections to Iris's new and old life. A really good mystery is both fun to read and believable. I quite enjoyed seeing "whodunnit," but I didn't believe the story.

I liked Iris as a character. If you weren't inside her head, you'd think a lot of her actions were despicable: she double crosses and lies to everyone - her friends and her father. She jumps to conclusions, she is incautious, and somewhat naive. But seeing all these actions and character traits from Iris's point of view, I sympathized with her. I understood why she did the things she did and realized that her intentions were generally good.

The Girl Is Murder is another one of those stories where you can enjoy the story if you leave your mind behind. Numerous things bothered me: the slang, the coincidences, some poorly developed plot lines. But I quite enjoyed the book. It is a very quick read. The plot flows smoothly. The mystery element supports the historical fiction element and vice versa. I loved learning more about a time period that is relatively unfamiliar to me. It's certainly not perfect, but The Girl Is Murder is a worthy read.

Rating: 3 / 5(less)

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Nov 29, 2011 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2011

2.5 stars.

I liked Iris enough as a character, and while I thought the mystery played out fine, it was everything else that didn't quite work for me.

First, I thought the repetition of the fact it was 1942 became old quick. There's showing me a setting and a time period, which is done well, but then it also falls a bit too hard into telling with the repetition of television show names, radio show names, product brands, etc. Those things are pretty meaningless to me as a reader and don't add to the...more 2.5 stars.

I liked Iris enough as a character, and while I thought the mystery played out fine, it was everything else that didn't quite work for me.

First, I thought the repetition of the fact it was 1942 became old quick. There's showing me a setting and a time period, which is done well, but then it also falls a bit too hard into telling with the repetition of television show names, radio show names, product brands, etc. Those things are pretty meaningless to me as a reader and don't add to the sense that it's 1942. It's clutter.

My biggest problem, though, came down to one involving social/economic status. We're dropped into this story when Iris has moved from the Upper East Side to the Lower East Side, and that's indication of a change in finances for Iris's family. Her mom killed herself, and now it's just her and dad, and he's a private investigator, so he doesn't make much. Rent's been late, and Iris wants to help her dad out financially. But there's a weird relationship then when Iris wants to reconnect with her old life. She's very judgmental about the wealth there, unable to realize that she was once a part of that very life. There's a lot of stigma attached to money, both the having it and not having it, and while this is a thread I find powerful in a lot of stories, here it's not developed as well as it should be, and it falls flat. It makes me question Iris's sincerity in getting to the bottom of Tom's disappearance, but more than that, it makes me question her character and her interest in developing real friendships with people.

I'm not sure this ties in EXACTLY with the money issue here, but Iris had a lot of other complicated feelings I couldn't unwind. She really dislikes the fact Pearl is not a thin girl, and she's constantly commenting on how Pearl is fat and she repeatedly points out what and how much she's eating. I get that Iris wants nothing from Pearl other than someone to do some of her dirty work, but this felt shallow and hollow. Part of me does think this relates right back to the complicated issue of social class. Pearl's clearly not wealthy, and Iris makes it clear she's not of the physical caliber of her former friends. She eats a lot.

Iris is not only quick to judge, but she likes to place blame everywhere. (view spoiler) While I know Iris wants to help her father initially, her motives are ultimately selfish. It doesn't make sense to me why she invests so heavily in Tom, especially because she knows he's played her. I don't buy (view spoiler).

And while (view spoiler), he's a pretty crappy detective to not put anything together about why his daughter is always gone and always lying left and right. So the assessment one of his clients gave about being lousy? Well, they were right.

The writing was fine, though at times it became a bit drippy with how hard it tried to master the slang. I noticed it because it became repetitive to a fault. "Square from Delaware" and "Boy Howdy" didn't need to be used as much as they were.

All that said, I think readers who enjoy Judy Blundell or who liked Christine Fletcher's Ten Cents a Dance will enjoy the read. I'm being much more critical than most readers would because these are personal peeves, but on the whole, it's an enjoyable read. It's a time period I find fascinating, especially as it's not set out to be a war-time story, and yet it so much is simply because that was the world. (less)

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Aug 06, 2011 AnnaBnana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

Iris is desperate to help her father with his private dectective business. Since his injury in the war, she sees her services as indespensible to him, but since he's been gone half her life, all he can see her as is a little girl.

There were elements of this book I liked very much. I love mid-century mysteries and I liked Iris. She was a plucky girl going for what she wants, making mistakes along the way, but learning as she goes. I was hoping to like this installment of noir historical mystery/d...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sch, teen, mystery

It’s 1942, and Fifteen-year old Iris struggling; her mother’s recent suicide and her father’s return from the War after losing a leg in Pearl Harbor were just the beginning of the changes in her life. With Pop’s detective agency struggling, they were forced to move to the Lower East Side, and Iris is attending public school for the first time. She knows Pop could use her help with his cases, especially when she realizes that one of them involves a missing boy from her new school. A few little li...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Rachael rated it 5 of 5 stars

It’s 1942, and everything has changed so quickly for Iris Anderson. Her mother is gone, and her father has just returned from the war with a missing leg. They’ve moved to a new neighborhood for financial reasons, and Iris is finding it difficult to adjust to life on the Lower East Side. The only constant in her life has been Pop’s job as a private investigator, but even that is challenged as Pop finds it harder to keep up with the more physical demands of his job. All Iris wants to do is help ou...more It’s 1942, and everything has changed so quickly for Iris Anderson. Her mother is gone, and her father has just returned from the war with a missing leg. They’ve moved to a new neighborhood for financial reasons, and Iris is finding it difficult to adjust to life on the Lower East Side. The only constant in her life has been Pop’s job as a private investigator, but even that is challenged as Pop finds it harder to keep up with the more physical demands of his job. All Iris wants to do is help out, but Pop isn’t really receptive to that idea. But when Pop takes a case involving a student at her new school, Iris realizes that she needs to take matters into her own hands. Soon, she’s lying to her friends, sneaking out at night, and cozying up to some different people at school. Her investigation will take to old and new neighborhoods and will draw connections between the unlikeliest of Iris’s acquaintances. But Iris can’t stop until she finds the truth—even if some horrible secrets close to home are dredged up in the process.

The Girl Is Murder is a simply fantastic mystery that whisks readers into the glamorous past of the World War II era. Haines has creates a wonderful heroine in Iris. Readers will be drawn to her spunk and fierce loyalty to her father even when Iris appears to be just a lonely girl in a scary new place. Iris is really the perfect protagonist for this story, with a great blend of girlishness and daring that allows readers to access both the investigation and the day-to-day struggles over friends and boys. I initially thought that his novel would merely focus on the historical mystery, but I was thrilled by the way Haines makes the mystery so much more personal for Iris. I did feel that the solution to the mystery was a little bit of a letdown after such a buildup of suspense, but I can’t deny that it was very realistic. Despite this, The Girl Is Murder is an utterly charming read with historical and detective flair. I know I can’t wait for Iris’s next adventure in The Girl Is Trouble.

The Girl Is Murder will definitely be enjoyed by fans of Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher and What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell.

from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

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May 27, 2012 Christie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 20th-century, controversial-issues, historical-fiction, mothers-daughters, mysteries, young-adult

First Sentence: "Pop's leg was across the room when I came downstairs."

Iris Anderson is a teenage girl living on the Lower East Side in New York in 1942. Her father has returned home from the war with a missing leg. Her mother, faced with the prospect of a wounded husband and dealing with the discrimination hurled at her for being a German, has committed suicide. As a result of her mother's death and her father's inability to work as he once did, Iris has gone from private school, upper East Si...more First Sentence: "Pop's leg was across the room when I came downstairs."

Iris Anderson is a teenage girl living on the Lower East Side in New York in 1942. Her father has returned home from the war with a missing leg. Her mother, faced with the prospect of a wounded husband and dealing with the discrimination hurled at her for being a German, has committed suicide. As a result of her mother's death and her father's inability to work as he once did, Iris has gone from private school, upper East Side girl to public school, Lower East Side girl. With her father struggling to make ends meet as a private investigator, Iris decides to take matters into her own hands and start investigating with him.

I did like some things about the book. I think that racial and social stratification were exemplified very well in the book. It was probably very true to life in the 1940s. Though this book isn't really a war story by any means, the war does pervade every aspect of life at this time. The author does a good job in showing that. The story is a good one for the most part and brings to light the lessons of knowing who your friends really are and that people are not always what they seem. The mystery was a good one. It keeps you guessing but there are also enough hints about the outcome. I found the 1940s slang to be incredibly interesting and added fun to the book.

The main reason I gave this book two stars is the characters. The only one I sympathized with at all was Pearl. Iris irritated me beyond reason. The big reason for this is that she seemed to be a compulsive liar. She lied to everyone with very little reason. She had plenty of chances to come clean with little or no penalty, but she never took them. She treated all the people in her life as just a means to an end. Though she did learn her lesson a bit after looking at Grace's actions, it was just too little too late for me.

In final analysis, the mystery was good, the history was excellent, but the characters fall flat for me. It is a quick and fun read, and if you like cozy mysteries it's probably right up your alley. Iris is just not the most likeable character in the world, which made it only ok for me. (less)

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Feb 02, 2012 Kendra rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a quick-read mystery that I enjoyed as much for the period details as I did the mystery (which was a tiny bit lackluster, in my opinion.) The story is set in 1942 NYC, and main character Iris is struggling to adjust to many changes: the suicide death of her mother, her father's injury, sustained at Pearl Harbor, and her new home and public school in a far different neighborhood than the Upper East Side she was used to. Readers will be immersed in what it was like to be a teen in the 194...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Jahlia ((thing 10 Evil 1)) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: badass-authors

Okay this book is a 3.5 read, because of that you may think I would've rated it 3 stars instead of 4 but i need to make something clear. My definition of 3 stars is a purely average read. This book wasn't an average read, it was very enjoyable. Which is a shame because it isn't even a bestseller and this book is better than a lot that are. Now for my review.

Iris's dad is a navy veteran who is crippled and in the detective agency. After her mom's recent suicide, her old life has fallen apart arou...more Okay this book is a 3.5 read, because of that you may think I would've rated it 3 stars instead of 4 but i need to make something clear. My definition of 3 stars is a purely average read. This book wasn't an average read, it was very enjoyable. Which is a shame because it isn't even a bestseller and this book is better than a lot that are. Now for my review.

Iris's dad is a navy veteran who is crippled and in the detective agency. After her mom's recent suicide, her old life has fallen apart around her and she is transfered- brace yourself- TO PUBLIC SCHOOL. Oh the daily horrors iris must go through, the nightmare of being with people from the lower and middle class *gasp*. Okay okay, sarcasm over I really couldn't help it. So anyway when a kid in her school goes missing and her dad is assigned to the case, iris decides to get involved. But no one in 1942 wants their daughter helping out in a man's business. So soon iris is lying to her friends, sneaking out, dancing at-brace yourself- negro clubs((GASP!))and doing anything to find out the truth.

So people here's what I thought. This book was strangely interesting, even though things like racism were present I still found this book enjoyable. The mystery was entertaining and smooth and it had you asking the right question: "Where the hell is tommy?" Iris makes mistakes but she wasn't ever portrayed to be perfect. Her dad tries her hardest to protect her, even though he doesn't really know how to. That's another thing I liked about this book: iris's relationship with her dad. Even though they argued at times, you could tell they loved each other and sometimes my heart(or whatever that cold thing is) was warmed. I also liked her relationship with suze, pearl and the rainbows. But one of the things I loved most was when Iris came to realize that some of her old friends were really sick twisted and manipulative.

So all and all, this book was good. Would I reccommend it? Yeah, but depends on what type of books you prefer to read.(less)

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Apr 16, 2013 Carolee Noury rated it 5 of 5 stars

From the jacket: It's the fall of 1942 in New York City, and Iris is dying to help out at her father's detective agency, especially when she discovers that one of Pop's cases involves a boy at her new public school.

Historical YA wasn't something I'd run into before- I was curious. (Always helps when you flip to the back and it's a Booklist starred review...)

This book is well written- clear, concise, and utterly realistic. It's clear Miller Haines did thorough research. In some HF I've read, the...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Anna (Gatsby's Girl) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Iris Anderson is still in shock from her Mother's sudden suicide less than six months ago. Now she's living with her Pop in run-down neighborhood, going to public school. She's been taken away from the Upper East Side, her private school and all the friends she's ever had. Not to mention that Pop is barely scraping by as a private detective because he only has one leg after the disaster at Pearl Harbor, and he refuses to ask for help. Iris is miserable in public school and starts creeping around...more Iris Anderson is still in shock from her Mother's sudden suicide less than six months ago. Now she's living with her Pop in run-down neighborhood, going to public school. She's been taken away from the Upper East Side, her private school and all the friends she's ever had. Not to mention that Pop is barely scraping by as a private detective because he only has one leg after the disaster at Pearl Harbor, and he refuses to ask for help. Iris is miserable in public school and starts creeping around trying to solve Pop's cases for him, even after he told her to stay out of it. She begins to make friends in school with the 'Rainbows' a group of outcasts after she tells a white lie about her Pop. Then Tom, one of the group, goes missing all of the sudden. Iris' Pop takes on the case, but is getting further and further off the trail. So she steps in, getting in closer to Tom's friends and staying out late into the night at Harlem clubs, rolling them for information. The information leads back to Grace, her former friend at private school who had been secretly involved with Tom. What really happened to Tom? Was he murdered, did he run away or did someone make him 'disappear'? By the time the book ends, you find out all of the answers to these questions. I liked the start of this book and it had a very promising premise. I do however, have a few complaints. Iris was not a very strong heroine. She came off as weak and clingy in some parts of the book. Others she seemed like a stubborn brat. That was okay though because she was very much a teenager. That I could handle withough complaint. It was the lackluster ending to the booklong mystery that truly irritated me to no end. It might have been realistic, but it was not at all exciting and it made me feel like I'd wasted my time. If you're in need of a girl detective fix, go watch Veronica Mars instead - you'll be much more satisfied.

VERDICT: 3/5 Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*(less)

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Aug 21, 2011 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars

If I wasn't such a romance buff I would have given this book 5 stars, unfortunately there was too much mystery plot and not enough 'romance' in it for me. I thought I should start my review with this fact, to make it clear that this is a personal review - not an 'objective' 'truthful' 'perfectionist' review.

Iris is a kick ass heroine, easy to relate to and earnest in her conviction that sometimes deception is the very best policy around. Oops.

This novel was a lot of fun, and there's obviously...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Kaylee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: y-a-mystery, y-a-historical-fiction, strong-heroine

Set in 1942, in the grip of World War II, the story follows Iris Anderson, a fifteen-year-old girl with a mind for sleuthing. Following her mother’s tragic suicide, Iris is uprooted from her private school and her cushy apartment on the Upper East Side of New York, landing in a public school and living on the wrong end of town. Her father is a private detective, so money depends on his success rate, and due to losing his leg in the war, he isn’t quite as good at doing legwork as he used to be. I...more Set in 1942, in the grip of World War II, the story follows Iris Anderson, a fifteen-year-old girl with a mind for sleuthing. Following her mother’s tragic suicide, Iris is uprooted from her private school and her cushy apartment on the Upper East Side of New York, landing in a public school and living on the wrong end of town. Her father is a private detective, so money depends on his success rate, and due to losing his leg in the war, he isn’t quite as good at doing legwork as he used to be. Iris decides to step in, despite her father’s protests, because she knows they need the money. Once she realizes that his latest case involves a boy she met on the first day of school, she dives in headfirst, putting herself undercover in search for answers.

I really liked the character of Iris. Other reviewers have compared her to Veronica Mars, and I can kind of see that, if Veronica lived in the 1940s and lacked her trademark witty humor and confidence. Also, Veronica and her father are practically best friends while Iris doesn’t know where she stands with hers. He was out of her life for five years, and now he’s the only parent she has. She has no idea how to relate to him. I really liked that the reader gets to see Iris as more than just a teenaged detective, she’s also a girl who has problems like those in the age group she was created for. She has trouble making friends and fitting in, she struggles with learning the true colors of people she was once friends with, and discovers the darker side of the world around her. The reader discovers these changes as Iris does, and experiences typical teenage things through her, such as drinking for the first time or getting caught sneaking out. Iris is a great character, a combination of Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars, with a well-rounded personality all her own.

The secondary characters were fun too. While the adults tended to fade into the background, Iris’s friends were fairly colorful. I love Suze – she is such a great friend to Iris and incredibly supportive when Iris is going through a rough time. It was very hard for me as a reader to know that at some point Suze was going to find out that Iris wasn’t being entirely truthful with her. I really didn’t want their friendship to flat line, because everyone deserves a friend like Suze. Pearl comes off as a little desperate for friendship in the beginning, but she also becomes a good friend to Iris, aiding her in her investigation. Iris’s old friend, Grace, is irritating. Her fakeness just oozes from the pages. I don’t blame Iris at all for being unsure if she can trust Grace, I didn’t trust the troublesome little snob.

The mystery itself was surprisingly intriguing. The boy that disappears is someone the reader barely gets a glimpse of before he’s gone. We know he’s a troublemaker and a thief, but Iris can’t help but believe he has a good heart, and honestly, I couldn’t either. The revelation of what happened to him is rather anti-climactic, but there is a slight twist afterward. We also get answers to more than is expected, such as why he broke into the lockers at school, something I’d completely forgotten about by the end of the story.

I really liked this novel and look forward to reading the sequel. I think Iris is a great character for young readers, and I hope to see many books starring her in the future.
(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-titles, audio-books

I always liked Nancy Drew but also found her a little white bread if you get my drift. Iris Anderson is how Nancy Drew would be in reality, if Nancy's dad lost all his money and his leg. It's 1943 and Iris is just starting public school after going to private school for most of her life. Her father is back from the war after losing his leg at Pearl Harbor and her mother has committed suicide some months before. Iris's dad is a private eye but his business has suffered since he lost his leg. Iris...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Trini rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Girl is Murder is an intriguing mystery about a clever young woman who decides to take matters into her own hands in order to figure out what happen to a boy who goes missing at her new school. This story takes place in the 1940’s. I have always been fascinated by different time periods of American history and this was a fun glimpse into the swing ear.

Our main character is Iris. A fifteen year old girl who’s life is chaotic since she has 1) lost her mother, the only person she depended on w...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, what can I say? It was a decent historical mystery. The solution to the mystery, however, was a bit of a letdown. Scratch that; it was a complete letdown. I read this book right after reading What I Saw and How I Lied and the two are astonishingly similar. Even the covers look alike! However, What I Saw and How I Lied was the superior novel. This book has the right idea. The characters are cleverly written and the dialogue, though stilted at times, is realistic to the time period. The prob...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Lennet penate rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gosh-i-wish-that-i-read-that-slower, good-good-very-good, misery-mystery, if-i-could-forget-it-and-read-it-ag, oldies, books-i-love-to-death, altime-modern-classic

EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so Iris the main character wants to join her father in the family buisness of investigation but her fathers all like "OH! no! what will people say if i have a 15 year old working with me" so Iris is mad because she knows that her Dad needs help see her mom committed suicide and her dad is a war veteran and well he kinda lost part of his leg in battle.
When Iris' dad gets home he finds that his wife is dead and he's all of a sudden broke! So Iris is forced to go to a PUBLIC SCH...more

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Mar 17, 2012 elyse rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, grrrlie, whodoneit, young-adult, youth, ebk

iris can hardly believe how much her life has changed, her mother has died and her father, a wounded vet from pearl harbor, has moved them from upper manhattan to the lower east side, taking iris from her private school and enrolling her in public school. he's also left the family private detecting business to strike out on his own. iris has her own problems between coping with her mothers death and trying to make friends at a new school but she can see that her father is struggling. when one of...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Overall, it was a good story that brought to mind a different television show instead of the one proclaimed similar-- Iris reminded me of Rory, Tom made me think of Jess, and Rhona brought Shane to mind (Jess's girlfriend in season three). Suze seemed a lot like Lorelai, and while I know that the parallels aren't perfect, this book made me think more about Gilmore Girls than Veronica Mars.

Certainly, there are similarities with respect to Veronica's family structure: the mom isn't in the picture,...more

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About Kathryn Miller Haines

Kathryn Miller Haines is an actor, mystery writer, and award-winning playwright. She grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and received her BA in English and Theatre from Trinity University in San Antonio and her MFA in English from the University of Pittsburgh. She's a member of the Mary Roberts Rinehart Chapter of Sisters in Crime and has been a board member of the New York chapter of Mystery Writers o...more

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Books by Kathryn Miller Haines

The War Against Miss Winter (Rosie Winter, #1)

The Girl is Trouble (The Girl is Murder, #2)

The Winter of Her Discontent (Rosie Winter, #2)

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