Review: The Girl Is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines - Blog Tour

Title: The Girl Is Murder
Series: Debut!
Author: Kathryn Miller Haines | Website
Available: Now
Genre: Mystery/Historical
Reading Level: YA












Description from Goodreads:


Iris Anderson is only 15, but she's quickly mastering the art of deception in this YA novel for fans of Veronica Mars. It's the Fall of 1942 and Iris's world is rapidly changing. Her Pop is back from the war with a missing leg, limiting his ability to do the physically grueling part of his detective work. Iris is dying to help, especially when she discovers that one of Pop's cases involves a boy at her school. Now, instead of sitting at home watching Deanna Durbin movies, Iris is sneaking out of the house, double crossing her friends, and dancing at the Savoy till all hours of the night. There's certainly never a dull moment in the private eye business. 


My thoughts:

As a fan of both historical fiction and Nancy Drew, I knew The Girl Is Murder was a must read. Iris Anderson is a wonderful main character that does an amazing job of giving us a glimpse into life of a 15-year-old girl living in 1942. She is dealing with the aftermath of her mother’s suicide and her long absent father’s return from Pearl Harbor (minus one leg). With money tight, Iris finds herself leaving her fancy private school and life on the Upper East Side behind for a life as a public school student and a new home in the less desirable Lower East Side. When she discovers her father is late with the rent and having difficulty fulfilling his job as a private investigator, Iris decides to help him. He asks her to stop, but Iris quickly learns how much she likes the role of investigator and it leads her into all kinds of sticky situations over the course of the story.

I enjoyed the mystery aspects of The Girl Is Murder very much. The author did a fantastic job of walking us through the steps of solving the whodunit without making the pending outcome predictable. Iris was also a narrator I adored. I loved watching her transformation from beginning to end. By the end of her story she has a certain sense of the world she wasn’t privy to at the start. I also enjoyed watching the way the relationship between Iris and her father developed. At the beginning he was almost a stranger to her. After living most of his military career away he suddenly becomes her soul parent. Iris had so many changes and adjustments in such a short period of time. I felt these molded and shaped her character in quite a positive way.

The Girl Is Murder is a highly enjoyable read that I most definitely recommend. I’m so excited this is a series debut and look forward to more adventures with Iris Anderson.

My Rating:

This or That with Iris from The Girl Is Murder & A Giveaway - Blog Tour

Today we have the chance to get to know Iris from The Girl Is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines better. Keep in mind this book takes place in the 1940's so the questions are geared toward the time when Iris lived. 

Let's play This or That!

Root beer float or Egg cream?

Egg cream. It’s a New York staple and Iris is all New York.

Summer or Winter?

Summer. No school, no snow, no responsibilities.

Sherlock Holmes or Dick Tracy?

Dick Tracy. He’s a cooler cat. Sherlock Holmes is old.

Superman or Batman?

Superman. Even though he’s 4-F because of his vision and had to sit out the war, he can still fight the bad guys with the best of them.

Cats or Dogs?

Dogs are more dependable and more intimidating if you need to face down a bad guy.

Gone with the Wind or The Wizard of Oz?

The Wizard of Oz. It’s a story Iris relates to more and speaks to her own journey to find courage, a heart, a brain, and a home.

Bing Crosby or Fred Astaire?

Bing Crosby. He’s a young hip crooner who’s making all the girls swoon.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate. Life’s too short for vanilla.

The Hobbit or Brave New World?

Brave New World. It’s about the future of this world, not the present of an imaginary one, and Iris is very concerned about what’s happening in her world right now.

Early morning or Late nights?

Late nights. People are much more interesting once the sun goes down. And they’re easier to follow.

Film or Radio?

Film. Radio is nice, but when the lights go down and the orchestra music swells, it’s easier to lose yourself in a movie.

Pluto or Goofy?

Goofy. He’s just much more entertaining. Plus, they’re both dogs, but Goofy gets to be a dog who acts like a human while Pluto is just a dog.

Monopoly or Sorry?

Monopoly. There’s more strategy involved.

Pink or Red?

Red. It’s the shade of lip crème that goes with everything.


Thanks for playing!

*****

The Girl Is Murder is available now!

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Ends 12/15