Kill the Story

The Hart & Soul mystery series debuts with two books that are as peppy--and as unlikely--as anything offered by the classic teen sleuth lines. Unlike Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, Amanda Hart actually attends high school, though she seems able to arrange time away frequently. Amanda's mysterious love interest and sidekick, Mickey Soul, is not so burdened with academia: he owns (and rides for) a bicycle messenger service, an occupation that apparently pays well enough to provide him with expensive disguises and unlimited free time. Mickey's background is murky: he vanishes whenever the police appear and seems to have no family, only a fiercely loyal gang of streetwise friends. The first two adventures involve a sorority-turned-shoplifting ring, and a series of ``accidents'' plaguing a local theatre production. The itch to find out the truth about Mickey is likely to be a prime factor in readers' continuing with this series. However, despite their penchant for annoying, overly snappy dialogue, Amanda and her pals are decent characters, and these mild-mannered mysteries offer a good dose of fun. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)