Buzz Kill by Beth Fantaskey (review)

Coach “Hollerin’ Hank” Kildare has no shortage of enemies at Honeywell High, so when he turns up bludgeoned to death underneath the bleachers, the suspect list is long. Practical-minded (read: lazy and mostly self-involved) Millie Ostermeyer would normally stay out of a school matter, but the number one suspect appears to be the assistant head coach, who also happens to be her father. Drawing on her childhood memories of Nancy Drew, Millie begins her investigations to clear her dad’s name and soon finds herself entangled with Chase Albright, the rock-star quarterback with a bookworm personality whose past is shrouded in mystery. Chase was close to Coach and wants to help, so Millie and Chase hunt down leads, interrogate suspects, and put the pieces together, all while flirting, fighting, and flirting some more like the heroes of the old movies that they both adore. This resembles Hale’s No One Else Can Have You (BCCB 1/14) in its pleasing blend of humor, mystery, and romance with a heavy side of snark. Although at times Millie seems almost precious with adorkability, her narration reveals some of the neuroses behind the quirky façade, and she’s utterly believable as a weird kid who’d like to be less weird if she could only figure out how. Chase makes a swoonworthy romantic counterpart, and the revelation of his past mistakes give him a depth not often seen in the genre—readers will argue whether that past makes him more sympathetic or completely undateable. Fans looking for a less prim and proper Nancy Drew (and a few more lustful kisses) will find her here.