Grimoire Noir

Bucky Orson’s sister Heidi is missing, and his mother’s despair has caused torrential rains that are flooding the small, mysterious town of Blackwell. This is not so unusual in Blackwell, where women have Charm, a magickal power, and magick is protected by law. When town politics keep Bucky’s sheriff father from investigating the case, Bucky sets out to find his sister himself, uncovering a web of secrets about a local coven, an imprisoned witch, and an ancient injustice that may change the town forever. Greentea (the Recipes for the Dead series) merges claustrophobic small-town drama with gothic fantasy and noir, though the meandering plot, which has Bucky drift from clue to clue, and the mystery’s underwhelming solution do not quite live up to the setting’s promise. Still, arresting illustrations from artist Bogatch elevate the telling, mixing washed-out, angular figures with thoughtful color accents against heavily textured backgrounds. The result is an unusual, tense, and deeply atmospheric world full of stylish characters and forbidding places (dark woods, decaying manors). Style may have trumped substance here, but the visit to Blackwell is worth it just to see the sights. Ages 12–16. [em]Agent: Tanya McKinnon, McKinnon Literary. (July) [/em]