Scarlett Undercover

After graduating high school two years early, Scarlett has been putting her troublemaking talents to use as a detective for kids and teens who have been ignored by the police. Nine-year-old Gemma enlists Scarlett to figure out why her older brother is acting oddly—and whether he had anything to do with his best friend’s suicide. The case unearths an entire supernatural world, one whose long history ties into Scarlett’s heritage, the Islam she no longer believes in, and the unsolved murder of her father. Now Scarlett has to take on an ancient task passed down through generations with only her friends and her wits to rely on. Debut novelist Latham’s noir-flavored narrative is a lot of fun (“In my business, smug and lazy got you into trouble. And sometimes they even got you dead”), though the voice can feel young for Scarlett’s 16 years. While the detective tropes occasionally seem at odds with the book’s fantasy elements, Scarlett’s unflinching curiosity creates a sense of adventure that offsets any rough patches in the storytelling. Ages 12–up. Agent: Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency. (May)