How to Fall (Jess Tennant Mysteries, #1) (Jess Tennant)

by Jane Casey

When fifteen-year-old Freya drowns, everyone assumes she's killed herself, but no-one knows why. Her cousin, Jess Tennant, thinks she was murdered - and is determined to uncover the truth. On a summer visit to sleepy Port Sentinel, Jess (who bears a striking resemblance to her dead cousin) starts asking questions - questions that provoke strong reactions from her friends and family, not to mention Freya's enemies.

Everyone is hiding something - and Freya herself had more than her fair share of secrets. Can Jess unravel the mystery of her cousin's death? A mystery involving a silver locket, seething jealousy and a cliff-top in the pitch black of night?

• ISBN10: 0552566039
• ISBN13: 9780552566032
• Publish Date: 31 January 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
• Imprint: Corgi Childrens
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[readingwithwrin]

Last year for blogmas I read the final book in this trilogy, so it was so nice to be able to go back and see where it all started. I really liked this book and seeing what happened in the beginning and how all of the characters met and became friends. I really loved how easy and quick of a read this whole series is and I can’t wait to read the middle book hopefully before the end of the year!

[kimbacaffeinate]

How to Fall  begins when Jess Tennant finds she, and her Mum will be spending the summer in her mother’s hometown. She will meet cousins and an Aunt she has never met. On the drive, she discovers her cousin who looks disturbingly like her died last summer when she fell from a cliff. Intrigued Jess sets out to learn about her cousin Freya and the mystery surrounding her death.

I loved Jess, she is well rounded, doesn't accept bullshit and when she caught her boyfriend in London cheating on her, her response was fantastic and I couldn’t help but holler, “You Go, Girl.” She is inquisitive and has a young Sherlock like quality with her observations. There are cliques and secrets among the teens in town, and despite advice to let things lie, she is determined to unearth what happen. Will, was one of Freya’s best friends, and although we have just begun to get to know him, I immediately was intrigued by him.  There is a young man, who shows an interest in Jess, and his ex-girlfriend protects her turf making for a little tension, but all of this led back to the mystery.

How to Fall focused on the mystery at hand, and I completely enjoyed the subtle clues, suspects and Jess’s observations. We get a little side dish of the family and the whisper of romance that only served to enhance the story. How to Fall wrapped up nicely and we saw closure to the mystery. Bet Your Life contains an all-new mystery and Jess once again will use her mad detective skills. I look forward to learning more about her and the other characters we met.

For those looking for a murder mystery in the young adult genre, How to Fall serves up nicely.

Copy received from publisher..This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer