I try to read books that are up for awards, and this YA mystery’s in the running for an Edgar this year. Set in rural Oregon, this story revolves around the mysterious death of a little girl and her older friend’s attempts to both solve and come to terms with her death. I found this story to be very engaging, but the skilled and/or veteran reader will figure this out in three seconds and there are a few sections–all the river-is-talking stuff–that are simply unnecessary. Similarly, the end was kind of . . . well, a head-scratcher if only because abandoning the world that Beaufrand so carefully constructed seemed like a cop-out. So that’s not the reason to read this. What Beaufrand does very well is setting (as in where you are) and developing a very nice set of supporting characters. I found the parents in this story–with all their foibles and problems–to be particularly well-done. I don’t know if this will win or not, but it’s really a nice read and deserves your time.