Into the Dark by Peter Abrahams

I love the Echo Falls books by Peter Abrahams. LOVE them. Into the Dark is the third installment in this series that started with Down the Rabbit Hole and was followed by Behind the Curtain. These novels, written presumably with teen and young adult readers in mind, center around Ingrid Levin-Hill, an intelligent young girl who is a Sherlock Holmes aficionado. When faced with a mystery, she asks herself how Holmes would handle the situation. In this newest book, Ingrid finds herself dealing with seemingly insurmountable family problems - not the least of which is that her beloved grandfather has been accused of murder.

Abrahams, who's written several well-known popular fiction titles, seems to have a talent for writing for younger people. His characters are believable and well-written. Ingrid is a fantastic heroine. She's smart and funny, compassionate and brave - everything a heroine should be. While I won't say I was totally shocked by the ending, the plot was well-conceived and there was enough action and suspense to keep me reading late into the night. We also see a lot of growth in not only Ingrid but in her family's situation as well in this book. There are numerous issues amongst her parents and brother that make her situation all the more realistic. All I can say is that I hope there's a fourth book on the horizon.