The Girl is Trouble by Kathryn Miller Haines [Review]

3 out of 5 Robots! 

The Girl is Trouble
Author: Kathryn Miller Haines
Series: Girl is Murder, #2

Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction
Release: July 3, 2012
Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Rex
Buy this Book: Amazon

Book Summary:

Iris Anderson and her father have finally come to an understanding. Iris is allowed to help out at her Pop's detective agency as long as she follows his rules and learns from his technique. But when Iris uncovers details about her mother's supposed suicide, suddenly Iris is thrown headfirst into her most intense and personal case yet.

My Thoughts:

The Girl is Trouble by Kathryn Miller Haines is the quickly paced, satisfying second installment in the Girl is Murder series. I have not read the first installment, and I don't think it is necessary for the reader to pick that book up to enjoy The Girl is Trouble. I had a great time reading the book without any idea at first that their was a first. Hats off to the author for the smooth writing! I wasn't put off at all by references to previous cases. 

Although Iris is perfectly likeable, I felt like she didn't read like a fifteen year old. I kept thinking of her older than she actually is. And though she is an okay character, that's just it. She is just okay. I didn't find myself smitten with her or even really rooting for her. She just is not interesting enough to connect to. I did find her best friend rather intriguing though- Pearl.

 There are two fun cases that we get to solve with Iris. And they really keep the plot moving. This is a great read for a younger audience and mystery junkies! Everyone needs a little mystery every once and awhile :) Take this one to the beach!

The Girl is Trouble Blog Tour! Author Interview!

The Girl is Trouble

Kathryn Miller Haines

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About the Book:

Iris Anderson and her father have finally come to an understanding. Iris is allowed to help out at her Pop's detective agency as long as she follows his rules and learns from his technique. But when Iris uncovers details about her mother's supposed suicide, suddenly Iris is thrown headfirst into her most intense and personal case yet. 

About the Author:

Kathryn Miller Haines is an actor, mystery writer, and award-winning playwright. She grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and received her BA in English and Theatre from Trinity University in San Antonio and her MFA in English from the University of Pittsburgh. She's a member of the Mary Roberts Rinehart Chapter of Sisters in Crime and has been a board member of the New York chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

Author Interview! 

Hi, Kathryn! Welcome to Rex Robot Reviews! Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind THE GIRL IS TROUBLE? 

The first book, The Girl is Murder, was about Iris and her Pop coming to terms with each other. The Girl is Trouble is about her coming to terms with her mother, who she believes has committed suicide. I was originally going to cover that whole plot in the first book, but we realized it was too big and really deserved a book of its own. One of the underlying themes is the idea of the “Good German.” While it sounds crazy to our modern ears that you could damn an entire country for part of their populations behavior, that’s precisely what was going on during World War II (and, one could argue, continues today with the way we portray Muslim nations). I really wanted to explore the nature of prejudice and how you come to terms with it when you are part of the group being discriminated against. 

Does THE GIRL IS TROUBLE have a soundtrack? Could you tell us some of the songs? 

Iris was introduced to swing music in The Girl is Murder, so that definitely pervades The Girl is Trouble – performers like Cab Calloway, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington. 

What was the most challenging part of your writing process? 

The first draft. That’s always the hardest part for me. Once I get that first, messy, awful draft down, the real fun begins. I love revising. 

What is your favorite scene from THE GIRL IS TROUBLE? 

I think at the end when Pearl does A VERY BRAVE THING to protect someone who did something very bad. It just says a lot about who Pearl is. I’m also very fond of Iris’s conversation with her Uncle when she finds out the truth about her mother. 

Thanks for stopping by! Are there any other releases or works in progress that you're excited about? 

I’m working on a book about The White Rose, a group of college students who tried to stand up to the Nazis. I’m also working on a contemporary book about a group of high school students who are bullied and end up banding together with terrible consequences.