I So Don't Do Mysteries by Barry Summy

All seventh grader Sherry Baldwin wants is for Josh, the eight grade guy she likes, to like her back. She wasn't counting on her widowed father marrying The Ruler a.k.a. her Math teacher or being shipped off to San Diego - and just when Josh asked her to play video games with him! - while her father and the Ruler go to Hawaii for their honeymoon.

But something has happened, her mother - a cop who was killed in the line of duty - comes back as a ghost with a cry for help. It turns out that Sherry's super cop mom is flunking out of the Law Enforcement Academy for ghosts! and needs Sherry's help to solve a mystery involving the rhinoceros at the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

Things get complicated when Sherry accidentally blurts out this mission to her best friend Junie - who is accompanying her to San Diego - and she doesn't believe her (which is too bad because Sherry was counting on Junie's help to help her with the mystery!). Also, it turns out that Josh might be coming to San Diego after all!

I found I So Don't Do Mysteries charming in general and I really liked Sherry but I had problems with the rest of the book. The mystery bit moved a bit slow for me (odd because it's not a very long book), and I didn't like Sherry's Mom - she annoyed me from the start, she's all ME! ME! ME! most of the time and forces Sherry into semi-dangerous situations my mother (who is not exactly the maternal type) would have chewed her own arm off to prevent me from getting into - and so did Junie.

Like I said, I liked Sherry and I adored Josh (he was such a sweetheart), which I guess is the most important part, so over all I do recommend it.

1/2