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Great read about the effects of children‘s march for integration!

Reading along as Mike Gayle tries to tackle his 1200+ item To Do list over the course of one year was interesting, inspiring, and very funny. The items on his list were so relatable! This was my March selection for #MonthlyNonfiction2025 .

Thirteen year old Ava Bonney is different.
While her friends play , Ava searches for roadkill.
Then, one night, Ava sneaks out to find a fox. She instead stumbles upon the body of Mickey Grant.
Detective Seth Delahayne has never seen a murder case like this one, as though the victim was set upon by a wild animal.
Nor has he met anyone like Ava , so determines and ... unusual.
When another boy goes missing , he has no idea that Ava will help him.

I love that this story talks about the civil rights movement. I think it would be a great history lesson and conversation starter about standing up for the things you believe in. I would read this to a 3rd or 4th grade class.

“Deadly Animals“ by Marie Tierney is a chilling and unforgettable thriller set in 1980s Birmingham, England. This book had me hooked from the first page and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

The full Deep Dive review of this book can be watched from our YouTube channel…

https://youtu.be/04vJPRXeC_o

This one was slightly reminiscent of Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series, only somewhat more gruesome and the teenage girl character in this one (Ava) is fascinated with studying the dead (a young 'Scarpetta'). I thought it was a wonderful debut novel and really enjoyed Ava. I do wish the detective Seth was better developed, but suspect that will come in subsequent books (fingers crossed). Thanks to Edelweiss+ for the digital ARC. 4.25/5!

Set in 1980 Birmingham, this mystery comes from two perspectives trying to solve a disturbing string of murders— an investigation by 14-year-old Ava, involved since a discovery during her own pursuits of her version of a Body Farm on the local roadkill, & the more official one by the police. Well-performed, I definitely found myself listening at every chance & loved that the ending interview confirms that this isn‘t the last we‘ll see of Ava!