The Girl Is Trouble by Kathryn Miller Haines

Things are finally starting to look up for Iris Anderson, or at least, they aren’t as chaotic and awful as they used to be. Iris is blending into her high school on the Lower East Side, even if everyone else thinks her closest friend Pearl is a bit weird. And even though the Rainbows haven’t totally forgiven her, at least they aren’t giving her too much trouble either. But the best part is that Iris’s Pop is finally letting her help out with his detective agency, as long as she follows every one of his rules and does everything his way, of course. But when Iris uncovers some unsavory details about her mother’s supposed suicide, following the rules no longer become an option. Once again, Iris finds herself sneaking around behind Pop’s back, but this time, instead of snooping in her classmates’ lives, it’s her own family that she must investigate.

I was such a fan of The Girl Is Murder that picking up its sequel, The Girl Is Trouble, was a clear no-brainer. As I expected and hoped, all the historical charm, detective flair, and personal drama that made me love The Girl Is Murder translated to The Girl Is Trouble as well. What I didn’t expect was for the second installment of Iris Anderson’s story to be so personal. It’s unsurprising that Haines would choose to shift the story in this direction, as many other mystery series work in this way as well for a good reason, but what was surprising was how Haines made Iris’s work this personal this quickly. Incorporating the mystery of Iris’s mother’s death makes me think that there might not be much more in this series, which would be a huge disappointment, considering what a fierce and fantastic Nancy Drew-esque heroine Iris is. These worries aside, The Girl Is Trouble is still a thoroughly enjoyable read, mostly because it is so extremely well plotted. The way that Haines balances multiple competing plotlines, each with its own unique mystery and secrets, is quite impressive. Without a doubt, this novel is sure to charm and thrill readers alike.

Fans of The Girl Is Murder will not want to miss its sequel, The Girl Is Trouble, nor will readers who also enjoyed What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell, Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher, and I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from publisher Macmillan