Snatched

Snatched, by Pete Hautman and Mary Logue (Putnam, 2006,) first book in the The Bloodwater Mysteries series.

Set in Bloodwater, Minnesota, high school newspaper editor Roni Delicata and freshman science wiz Brian Bain investigate the disappearance of their schoolmate, Alicia. New to the school, Alicia was recently beat up, apparently by a stranger in the park. Roni wrote about this story for the Bloodwater Pump, hilariously concluding the article by encouraging classmates to shoot suspicious-looking people on sight. With Alicia's disappearance, Roni and Brian wonder if the stranger is to blame, or if it is her father, her stepfather, her boyfriend, her boyfriend's teammate, or Driftwood Doug, a town eccentric. The trail leads them to Wolf Spider Island, a freewheeling place for people who "just say no" to fitting in with society. The mystery is satisfying and ends with a nice twist.

This is a fast-paced, breezy mystery. I see this as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it moves the story along at a nice clip, and readers get to see the various parts of Bloodwater. Being mired in the Midwest Desert (at least, this time of year it is,) I always enjoy reading stories set along lakes or oceans--or anything that would prompt one to buy a boat. (Unless I have to move some lumber--or play blackjack, I will never set foot on a boat in the Missouri River.) The problem with the fastness and breeziness is that I felt like I never got to know Roni or Brian--or Alicia.

In particular, I wanted to get to know Roni. I learned a little about her through the course of the book. For instance, she is a haphazard dieter (aren't we all?) and is unable to envision herself in a chosen outfit in public. (At one point, she peddles to Nun's Island wearing an orange helmet, too-small black leather jacket, and blue tights, which is a nice scene.) But I didn't know her like I've known characters in other mysteries.

I felt like instead of exploring Roni's or Brian's characters more, the authors would introduce new characters, which for me, didn't add to the story. For instance, on her way to Nun Island, Roni bums a ride from a nun. I was educated by nuns, and love them dearly, but I didn't understand the point of this scene, other than to get Roni from point A to point B. There was some humor here but not enough to justify shifting gears away from the main character.

Another character that felt unnecessary was butterfly fanatic Mr. Nestor. Roni and Brian track him down as the person who gave Alicia a ride prior her disappearance. They, too, get in the car with him, and he takes them to the spot where he and Alicia parted ways. At first I wondered why Alicia would get in a car with a stranger, but as the story went on, I saw that Roni also sometimes bummed rides with strangers, so assumed that was common in the town of Bloodwater. What I never could figure out was: Why would Mr. Nestor give Alicia a ride, seeing how Alicia is not a butterfly? It didn't seem in keeping with his butterfly-obsessed and socially awkward personality. I thought maybe this was a sticky detail: something in a mystery that doesn't set right with you, but that you explain away. Then later, you realize that the detail was a clue. That wasn't the case with Mr. Nestor. Instead, the episode seemed far-fetched to me, even for a mystery populated with eccentric characters. I wished that a character we already knew had given Alicia a ride.

Other characters, such as Alicia and her family, and Roni and her mother, were better drawn. But I never felt completely immersed in their world.

The verdict: I felt like I only skimmed the surface of Bloodwater, and never got to know the characters--or the town--in depth.

How the author got the parents out of the picture: Roni's mom and Brian's mom each have busy jobs. Brian's mom is a detective also investigating Alicia's disappearance, which I thought was a nice touch. She isn't actually out of the picture; Brian simply has to avoid her. His dad, meanwhile, is a scientist wrapped up in his studies.