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Holly delivers an engaging mystery that blends family secrets with the real challenges of being thirteen. When Marnie Price loses her grandfather, a World War II code breaker, she discovers he left behind puzzling messages that lead her into dangerous territory involving Operation August Rain.
The author succeeds in making Marnie feel authentically middle-school-aged. She worries about her friendships, experiences her first crush on Collin, struggles with family problems, and solves a decades-old mystery. Holly manages both storylines without letting one overshadow the other, creating a believable portrait of a girl caught between childhood and growing up. The mystery unfolds through carefully placed clues that challenge readers without becoming confusing. Papa's hidden codes, the torn notebook page, and Shakespeare references create an intriguing puzzle.
Holly shows particular skill with secondary characters. For example, her brother, Nick, deals with grief through constant running; Aunt Sandy disappears under mysterious circumstances; and Grandma surprises everyone by revealing that she is a former intelligence officer. The pacing sometimes falters when moving between personal moments and plot developments. Some elements strain believability, particularly the ease with which the children access restricted areas. However, these issues remain minor in an otherwise well-constructed story.
The author handles grief exceptionally well. She shows how loss affects each family member differently and how children inherit problems they never asked for. The rooftop garden scenes offer especially touching moments of remembrance. The ending provides satisfaction without rushing through important details. Holly trusts her young audience with genuine complexity while keeping the story age-appropriate. This novel establishes her as a noteworthy new voice in middle-grade fiction.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review