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A Riley Donovan Mystery #3
Out of Tune
When Alicia, a talented violinist at Riley Donovan's high school, is found bludgeoned to death in a field on the outskirts of town, suspicion immediately falls on Carrie, the teen's musical rival. But Riley isn't convinced of Carrie's guilt, and even though her police-officer aunt tells her to stay out of it, Riley goes searching for the truth. Did Carrie really kill Alicia in a fit of jealous rage, or is there another explanation for Alicia's death?
122 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
19 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Norah McClintock
92 books208 followersNorah McClintock’s fascinating mysteries are hard to put down. Her Chloe & Levesque series, Mike & Riel series, and Robyn Hunter series, all published by Scholastic Canada, have been popular with readers in many countries. Norah has also written several crime novels for reluctant readers in the Orca Soundings series from Orca Book Publishers,
Norah is a five-time winner of the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime Novel. Read Mistaken Identity, The Body in the Basement, Sins of the Father, Scared to Death, and Break and Enter to find out why! Norah's books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she has won numerous awards.
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award - Juvenile
o 1996 – Mistaken Identity – Winner
o 1998 – The Body in the Basement – Winner
o 1999 – Sins of the Father – Winner
o 2002 – Scared to Death – Winner
o 2003 – Break and Enter – Winner
Red Maple Award
o 2004 – Hit and Run – Winner
Norah is a five-time winner of the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime Novel. Read Mistaken Identity, The Body in the Basement, Sins of the Father, Scared to Death, and Break and Enter to find out why! Norah's books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she has won numerous awards.
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award - Juvenile
o 1996 – Mistaken Identity – Winner
o 1998 – The Body in the Basement – Winner
o 1999 – Sins of the Father – Winner
o 2002 – Scared to Death – Winner
o 2003 – Break and Enter – Winner
Red Maple Award
o 2004 – Hit and Run – Winner
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 27, 2017
This book seemed to be targeted more for an age group younger than me, but I still thought it was a well thought-out mystery. I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the book.
This book can definitely be read as a standalone, though there are a few references to earlier mysteries. However, I felt like the character arcs were a bit thin, as the story seemed very plot-centric, but I do wonder if I would have had a better connection with the characters if I read the previous books.
Nevertheless, this was a quick and delightful read, perfect for readers twelve and up.
This book can definitely be read as a standalone, though there are a few references to earlier mysteries. However, I felt like the character arcs were a bit thin, as the story seemed very plot-centric, but I do wonder if I would have had a better connection with the characters if I read the previous books.
Nevertheless, this was a quick and delightful read, perfect for readers twelve and up.
July 20, 2017
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When a high-school violin player, Alicia, has been missing for two days, Riley is pulled into the search by one of her best friends, Charlie, who’s had a crush on Alicia for years.
The next day, an organized search has them founding Alicia’s body…
A couple days later, Carrie, the main suspect since she was Alicia’s violinist rival (and other stuff), finds Riley to ask her to prove her innocence…
This is part of the Riley Donovan series. I can’t find which book this is exactly. This author Goodreads page is kind of a mess and even if, as a librarian, I could sort everything out, I wouldn’t know how…
ANYWAY. I could tell at some point that this was part of a series, for example, when Carrie asks Riley for help, she mentions the cases she solved before, etc.
But it wasn’t essential in the intrigue. the main intrigue of the book was the case, Alicia’s murder. It was well told and I felt like a genius since I figured out before the reveal. I didn’t mind figuring it out, I was looking for a short but interesting mystery & thriller book, and that was exactly what I got.
I liked Riley, even though we didn’t find out much about her. She was the main character but seemed on the background compared to the other characters, like she was just a medium to the murder solving.
Still, a nice, simple, effective mystery....
When a high-school violin player, Alicia, has been missing for two days, Riley is pulled into the search by one of her best friends, Charlie, who’s had a crush on Alicia for years.
The next day, an organized search has them founding Alicia’s body…
A couple days later, Carrie, the main suspect since she was Alicia’s violinist rival (and other stuff), finds Riley to ask her to prove her innocence…
This is part of the Riley Donovan series. I can’t find which book this is exactly. This author Goodreads page is kind of a mess and even if, as a librarian, I could sort everything out, I wouldn’t know how…
ANYWAY. I could tell at some point that this was part of a series, for example, when Carrie asks Riley for help, she mentions the cases she solved before, etc.
But it wasn’t essential in the intrigue. the main intrigue of the book was the case, Alicia’s murder. It was well told and I felt like a genius since I figured out before the reveal. I didn’t mind figuring it out, I was looking for a short but interesting mystery & thriller book, and that was exactly what I got.
I liked Riley, even though we didn’t find out much about her. She was the main character but seemed on the background compared to the other characters, like she was just a medium to the murder solving.
Still, a nice, simple, effective mystery....
August 4, 2017
As soon as I saw Norah's new book, I snapped it up immediately. It read as well as the first one, a good pace and very likable characters. I was able to figure out whodunit on this one. However, I had one problem with this story, the motive behind the murder seemed a little more adult than I would expect from a book for teens. I'm not sure my son will understand why the girl was killed.
November 5, 2020
Such a good book. I'm so sad this author has passed away. Really good writing style and plot development. RIP.
December 9, 2017
This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.
This is a nice little murder mystery.
I know that sounds weird–"nice" and "murder mystery" aren't paired very often. But the truth is that Out of Tune is just the sort of novel I needed: a pure mystery, with a violent crime but no gory/explicit content. The basic scenario (a high school student enlisted to investigate the murder of a female fellow student who appears to be a "golden child") at first reminded me a lot of the much-gorier Running Girl by Simon Mason, but Out of Tune is frankly a little more my speed in the violence department. It's like an Agatha Christie murder mystery: the story starts with the crime, and then follows the main character as she tracks down the clues. We get a description of the crime scene in one of the beginning chapters but not much more than that. Actually, now that I think about some of Agatha Christie's book, this is probably actually a step down from those even.
I feel like so many of the murder mysteries I've read lately focused more on character drama (most of which didn't even wind up being relevant to the investigation), so I really appreciated how focused Out of Tune was. McClintock never forgets that she's writing a murder mystery, not a small-town drama. Granted, that does come at the expense of getting to know some of the side characters very well–a feat that's made doubly hard because you're expected to already know a bunch of the characters from the earlier books in the "Riley Donavan" series–but I personally didn't really mind focusing on the clues rather than on the characters pursuing them.
The reason I love Agatha Christie's novels is because she so perfectly blends interesting characters with fascinating crime investigations. While I've yet to find a murder mystery that does both of these areas as masterfully as she does, I'm finding that I much prefer the ones that err on the side of the crime investigations. This is the case of Out of Tune, which wound up being a perfectly satisfying who-dunnit with a logical, yet suprising, reveal–and a protagonist I still know little about. And I am perfectly okay with that.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is a nice little murder mystery.
I know that sounds weird–"nice" and "murder mystery" aren't paired very often. But the truth is that Out of Tune is just the sort of novel I needed: a pure mystery, with a violent crime but no gory/explicit content. The basic scenario (a high school student enlisted to investigate the murder of a female fellow student who appears to be a "golden child") at first reminded me a lot of the much-gorier Running Girl by Simon Mason, but Out of Tune is frankly a little more my speed in the violence department. It's like an Agatha Christie murder mystery: the story starts with the crime, and then follows the main character as she tracks down the clues. We get a description of the crime scene in one of the beginning chapters but not much more than that. Actually, now that I think about some of Agatha Christie's book, this is probably actually a step down from those even.
I feel like so many of the murder mysteries I've read lately focused more on character drama (most of which didn't even wind up being relevant to the investigation), so I really appreciated how focused Out of Tune was. McClintock never forgets that she's writing a murder mystery, not a small-town drama. Granted, that does come at the expense of getting to know some of the side characters very well–a feat that's made doubly hard because you're expected to already know a bunch of the characters from the earlier books in the "Riley Donavan" series–but I personally didn't really mind focusing on the clues rather than on the characters pursuing them.
The reason I love Agatha Christie's novels is because she so perfectly blends interesting characters with fascinating crime investigations. While I've yet to find a murder mystery that does both of these areas as masterfully as she does, I'm finding that I much prefer the ones that err on the side of the crime investigations. This is the case of Out of Tune, which wound up being a perfectly satisfying who-dunnit with a logical, yet suprising, reveal–and a protagonist I still know little about. And I am perfectly okay with that.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 28, 2018
McClintock, Norah Out of Tune, 222 pgs. Orca Book Publishers, 2017. Language – PG (7 swears, 0 “f”), Mature Content – G; Violence – PG;
Alicia is the girl who seems so perfect that you can’t help but love her and hate that you love her—she plays the violin with prodigy-level skill, gets good grades, is great with kids, and somehow finds free time to be social. And then she disappears. Riley is approached by the lead suspect to help prove her innocence, and, against all odds, this leads Riley to uncover how much goes on under the surface of her high school.
Though technically the third in a series, Out of Tune can stand alone, as books in the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden series. This is a standard mystery with good action, multiple possible suspects, and an impossible situation that the kid detective is able to figure out before the adults and professionals. Overall, I enjoyed the read because it is a new mystery to solve, but there is nothing especially amazing about Out of Tune that can’t be said for other mystery novels.
MS, HS – OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
Alicia is the girl who seems so perfect that you can’t help but love her and hate that you love her—she plays the violin with prodigy-level skill, gets good grades, is great with kids, and somehow finds free time to be social. And then she disappears. Riley is approached by the lead suspect to help prove her innocence, and, against all odds, this leads Riley to uncover how much goes on under the surface of her high school.
Though technically the third in a series, Out of Tune can stand alone, as books in the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden series. This is a standard mystery with good action, multiple possible suspects, and an impossible situation that the kid detective is able to figure out before the adults and professionals. Overall, I enjoyed the read because it is a new mystery to solve, but there is nothing especially amazing about Out of Tune that can’t be said for other mystery novels.
MS, HS – OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
December 23, 2017
Language – PG (7 swears, 0 “f”), Mature Content – G; Violence – PG; Alicia is the girl who seems so perfect that you can’t help but love her and hate that you love her—she plays the violin with prodigy-level skill, gets good grades, is great with kids, and somehow finds free time to be social. And then she disappears. Riley is approached by the lead suspect to help prove her innocence, and, against all odds, this leads Riley to uncover how much goes on under the surface of her high school.
Though technically the third in a series, Out of Tune can stand alone, as books in the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden series. This is a standard mystery with good action, multiple possible suspects, and an impossible situation that the kid detective is able to figure out before the adults and professionals. Overall, I enjoyed the read because it is a new mystery to solve, but there is nothing especially amazing about Out of Tune that can’t be said for other mystery novels.
Reviewed for http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
Though technically the third in a series, Out of Tune can stand alone, as books in the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden series. This is a standard mystery with good action, multiple possible suspects, and an impossible situation that the kid detective is able to figure out before the adults and professionals. Overall, I enjoyed the read because it is a new mystery to solve, but there is nothing especially amazing about Out of Tune that can’t be said for other mystery novels.
Reviewed for http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
July 16, 2017
This was well thought-out and quite smartly done, if a little short. I'd say it is aimed at slighty younger readers tban me too, maybe early teens (no 'unsuitable' scenes if you get me). Tried to do some investigating because there seemed to be some hints towards previous books but nothing that leads to confusion, but I came up a little short. There is a LOT of Norah McClintock books on Goodreads apparently, and a few Riley Donavan mystery ones but they didn't seem to have descriptions etc so who knows. I've just read One of Us Is Lying which was AMAZING, so this kind of paled in comparison.
ARC from netgalley, will be published October 2017
ARC from netgalley, will be published October 2017
October 18, 2017
Out of Tune
A Riley Donovan Mystery
by Norah McClintock
Orca Book Publishers
Mystery & Thrillers , Teens & YA
Pub Date 24 Oct 2017
I am reviewing a copy of Out of Tune through Orca Book Publishers and Netgalley:
Alicia is a talented violinist at Riley Donovan High-school is found murdered, bludgeoned to death. Her body found in a field located on the outskirts of town. Her musical rival Carrie immediately becomes a suspect. Riley is not convinced that Carrie is the murderer though.
Despite the fact that Riley’s police officer aunt tells her to stay out of it, Riley goes searching for the truth anyway, not wanting someone innocent to get in trouble for a crime they did not commit.
I give Out of Tune five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
June 11, 2018
Small town girl and two friends give out exposition on a missing girl as they hand out flyers and then join the search, finding the body soon enough.
I mention exposition because in this case it was well done, unlike most ham-fisted attempts in such short stories. There’s a Twin Peaks feel throughout, making me wonder if maybe the victim wasn’t as goodie-two-shoes as she let on.
For such a short novel, there sure were a lot of suspects; just when the cops and Riley think they know who done it, someone else pops up. It’s a little exasperating, as the author doesn’t throw breadcrumbs for the reader to play along and have a chance at solving it. But despite that it’s still worth the read, as the writing and characters are where this short is strong.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5
I mention exposition because in this case it was well done, unlike most ham-fisted attempts in such short stories. There’s a Twin Peaks feel throughout, making me wonder if maybe the victim wasn’t as goodie-two-shoes as she let on.
For such a short novel, there sure were a lot of suspects; just when the cops and Riley think they know who done it, someone else pops up. It’s a little exasperating, as the author doesn’t throw breadcrumbs for the reader to play along and have a chance at solving it. But despite that it’s still worth the read, as the writing and characters are where this short is strong.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5
December 14, 2023
This is the third book in the Riley Donovan mystery series, but it can be read as a standalone. Riley will make a good detective when she gets older, but her snooping got her into trouble a few times since she's a high school kid. I almost put this short book down in the first chapter because of how annoying the character Ashleigh is. She complains, whines and makes rude comments throughout the entire book. A few characters are written this way and it makes the characters seem like they're about 10 years old instead of high schoolers. I figured out the killer and that person made much more sense than the person who was originally accused.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
March 23, 2018
Everyone is schocked when the body of violin prodigy Alicia Allen is found in the woods behind school. Who would've wanted to kill Alicia? The police are focusing on Carrie, Alicia's rival violinist, but Carrie is determined to clear her name by enlisting the help of teen detective Riley. Can Riley and her friends discover the truth?
A fast-paced, straightforward mystery that is clean enough to recommend to tweens and easy enough to recommend to struggling older readers, I enjoyed this a lot. Is the story complicated? Not really, but it had me guessing and pulled me into the setting admirably.
A fast-paced, straightforward mystery that is clean enough to recommend to tweens and easy enough to recommend to struggling older readers, I enjoyed this a lot. Is the story complicated? Not really, but it had me guessing and pulled me into the setting admirably.
July 15, 2017
I really liked this final Riley Donovan mystery. Her reason for getting involved was solid and related directly back to previous books. There was no romance, but lots of authentic small town carping and envy. The plot twists were well telegraphed but not dully predictable, and Riley was in a huge amount of danger for this relatively quiet story. I liked her independence and willingness to rely on her friends.
(I got this book through Early Reviewers on LibraryThing)
(I got this book through Early Reviewers on LibraryThing)
November 20, 2024
I chose this because I thought I had read the first in the series years ago. It turns out I hadn't but I did not feel at too much disadvantage jumping in at the third book. The character's backgrounds were filled in enough for me to understand where everyone was coming from without it detracting from the main story. The mystery was reasonably good but the police seemed to jump to conclusions very quickly, and answers fell into Riley's lap a little too easily.
July 18, 2017
This was a cute little book, perfect for middle schoolers and some high schoolers, which I didn't realize when I requested it. It was short, clean, and had a good, thought-out mystery. I'd definitely recommend it for young teenagers who enjoy mysteries.
I did receive a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I did receive a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
August 8, 2018
I enjoy the Riley Donovan character very much, mostly because she doesn’t go looking for trouble and it finds her anyway.
In this book, a girl who believes she’s going to be a suspect asks Riley for Help and shortly afterwards that girl is arrested for murder. But things are not adding up so Riley keeps digging. Great light young adult mystery series with nothing inappropriate.
In this book, a girl who believes she’s going to be a suspect asks Riley for Help and shortly afterwards that girl is arrested for murder. But things are not adding up so Riley keeps digging. Great light young adult mystery series with nothing inappropriate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2017
This was just a fun little mystery. I didn't know it was part of a series, but I feel like I followed along just as well. It definitely could've been longer, but I still think there was a solid story there. Would definitely recommend to older kids/younger teens who like mystery!
September 29, 2017
Review upcoming
January 20, 2020
3.5 Stars
May 22, 2020
Tickled my need for a who-done-it. Ending felt rushed and I had trouble keeping victim’s and best friend’s names straight.
September 18, 2017
I really enjoyed this book! While the pacing is just a little slow in the beginning but I found that once I got a few chapters in I didn't want to stop.
When a classmate goes missing and turns up dead Riley Donovan solves the case and finds the killer.
The ending was actually quite unexpected, especially for me. The writing was okay, the plot was awesome, and the ending was mind blowing. I recommend for ages 10 & up
4 stars
When a classmate goes missing and turns up dead Riley Donovan solves the case and finds the killer.
The ending was actually quite unexpected, especially for me. The writing was okay, the plot was awesome, and the ending was mind blowing. I recommend for ages 10 & up
4 stars
December 27, 2021
1. Riley Donovan is an idiot. she’s the most uncompelling, narcissistic, unloyal, 2D character ever written in the history of litterateur. She seems to think that because she solved one mystery before she is the only person who could solve this mystery, and is more qualified then professionals. She does not care about her friends and family.
2. the police in this town are thoroughly useless. They can’t seem to figure anything out, targeting the wrong people without any evidence whatsoever. They ARRESTER an innocent minor simply because she was jealous of the murdered girl. They are so understaffed they need the help from teenagers to search for dead bodies.
3. The way the mystery was written was anticlimactic and led me as the reader down the wrong path simply because they could. The person who had actually killed the girl was someone totally random and it did not build up to it properly. The plot twists were poorly written and seemed to be done on a whim.
4. The girl that was killed was only loved by everyone including her parents and so called friends because she was “nice” and good at the violin. All anyone seemed to know and care about her was that she was talented. Because of that me as the reader could not care less about the mystery being solved.
5. this book make me cry
2. the police in this town are thoroughly useless. They can’t seem to figure anything out, targeting the wrong people without any evidence whatsoever. They ARRESTER an innocent minor simply because she was jealous of the murdered girl. They are so understaffed they need the help from teenagers to search for dead bodies.
3. The way the mystery was written was anticlimactic and led me as the reader down the wrong path simply because they could. The person who had actually killed the girl was someone totally random and it did not build up to it properly. The plot twists were poorly written and seemed to be done on a whim.
4. The girl that was killed was only loved by everyone including her parents and so called friends because she was “nice” and good at the violin. All anyone seemed to know and care about her was that she was talented. Because of that me as the reader could not care less about the mystery being solved.
5. this book make me cry
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 26, 2018This book was super good. The suspect of the murder was very interesting because the reader kept thinking it was one person who did it but then it made more sense for it to be someone else. This was a very good mystery and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews