Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen

Short Summary: The year is 1959. Sally O’Malley’s death bed promise to always take care of her sister Troo is the start of the summer her mother is hospitalized; her drunken stepfather abandons them and her older sister is more interested in her low life new boyfriend than worrying about her two sisters who are running wild, if they are eating or that there is a murdering molester about. Sally is absolutely certain of two things; she must protect her sister Troo and the yet to be identified unknown murderer is now after her. 

 A good friend gave me this book. I loved this story. It brought me back in so many ways to the summers when I was ten/eleven years old and allowed to roam the neighborhood at will and of a time when parents thought nothing of letting their children out no knowing exactly where they were, not expecting them back except for lunch or when the street lights came on. Writer Lesley Kagen has delivered a wonderful story about coming of age both for young Sally, her friends and the world around them as they all moved headlong into the sixties and the changes fast coming. 

The storyline was fast paced, imaginative, drawing me in from the first. The cast of characters were unique, each fully developed, each with their own often quirky, distinctive voice, with their seamlessly woven in backstories giving a glimpse into why people become who they are and why they act out the way they sometimes do. I would be surprised if anyone reading this story was unable to find a character they could relate to. Add in the mystery/crime element and this has become one of my favorite reads this summer. Once I began, I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this writer.