Into the Dark Peter Abrahams

Into the Dark by Peter Abrahams, is the third book in the Echo Falls Mystery series. 13 yr old Ingrid lives at 99 Maple Lane in Echo Falls. I love Ingrid, she's a independent teenager, who solves mysteries. Ingrid reminds me a lot of Jennifer Allison's character Gilda Joyce. If Ingrid Levin-Hill and Gilda Joyce meet they would be best friends or archenemies they're so much alike.
Though a mystery must be solved Ingrid's life doesn't stop. She has school, family issues, including an older brother who tries to get out of chores. Also Ingrid is a member of the Prescott Players, a local theatre group. This year they're preforming Hansel and Gretel.

"Ingrid loved being int the Prescott Players,loved this beautiful little theater in Prescott in Prescott Hall, loved everything about putting on plays especially working with Jill. Jill was a real actress. She'd been in a Hollywood movie Tongue and Grove"

Abrahams writing is visually strong and Ingrid does the rest. She's a smart girl who uses deductive reasoning like her favorite fictional character Sherlock Holmes.

Ingrid's grandfather, Aylmer is arrested for murder. Ingrid knows her grandfather is innocent because he would never shoot anyone in the back. Unfortunately, Aylmer is not the most likable person so he decides to take a plea deal. Ingrid discovers her grandfather alibi, but she can't reveal it, its his secret to tell. Leaving Ingrid with only one option, find the real killer.

"Now she had a list, but what did it mean? Her mind refused to make those three questions had up to anything. What did Sherlock Holmes do in baffling situations? Sometimes he took cocaine, that was out. Or he played violin, Ingrid, although she liked belting out songs in the shower, had no musical ability whatsoever. But sometimes Holmes went for a walk"

It pretty easy to figure out who the killer is. What makes this book good is how Ingrid figures out the why. What makes this book great is the ending. There is nothing better then someone trying to cover up a murder with a murder. I loved the last few chapters, the action was fast, intense, scary, page turning good.

The Echo Falls mysteries work well as stand alone books. I highly recommend this series, especially for fans of the Gilda Joyce and Kiki Strike books.