September 24, 2012
Irish-born screenwriter Leonard (husband of Fifty Shades of Grey author E.L. James) makes his YA debut with a hard-hitting adventure that plunges its hero into a bleak, crime-ridden London. Seventeen-year-old Finn Maguire's life is dismalâhe's a dyslexic dropout with a criminal record, working at the seedy Max Snack restaurant. After his father, a washed-up actor-turned-screenwriter, is murdered and Finn becomes the primary suspect, he feels he has nothing to lose by hunting the killer himself. Convinced that local mob boss Joseph McGovern is to blame, Finn digs for evidence, even getting a job in one of his restaurants; when his life is threatened, he senses that he's on the right path. With both killers and police after him, Finn's only ally is the beautiful yet unpredictable Zoe. Leonard is clearly writing for the screen, with well-drawn action scenes, snappy patter, and a brand of noir undercoated with fast food grease. Last-minute revelations and a hasty conclusion diffuse some of the story's skillfully developed tension, but the thriller travels at a gripping pace, and has a thick-skinned, yet sympathetic protagonist at the head. Ages 14âup Agent: Valerie Hoskins Associates.