Teenage Amanda ups the ante in her online mystery game with diverse, global players by introducing a real murder for investigation, using her grandpa as her game “henchman.” Amanda convinces her father, San Francisco’s Chief of Homicide, that the following murders add up to a serial killer. When her mother disappears, the gamers link her to the murders and assist in finding her. As riveting as this story is, a police detective sharing vital information with civilians, especially a teenager, doesn’t make sense. Amanda’s parents, who are divorced, alternate between frustration with her inappropriate efforts at police work and aiding in her investigation without realistic transitions, often changing their attitude from one sentence to the next. That being said, if one can suspend judgment, the characters of Amanda and her grandfather are compelling and humorous, with a unique, quirky relationship, and worth the read. (less)