Review: Follow Her Home by Steph Cha

A Mysterious Review of …

Follow Her Home by Steph Cha. A Juniper Song Mystery.

Review summary: This murder mystery is written more along the lines of a teen novel than an adult one, with the lead character being more Nancy Drew than the Philip Marlowe she considers herself to be. The storyline is straight-forward enough, but is intercut with a backstory that is more intrusive than constructive and just doesn't work here. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Follow Her Home
Steph Cha
A Juniper Song Mystery
Minotaur Books (April 2013)

Publisher synopsis: Juniper Song knows secrets — how to keep them and how to search them out. As a girl, noir fiction was her favorite escape, and Philip Marlowe has always been her literary idol. So when her friend Luke asks her to investigate a possible affair between his father and a young employee, Juniper (or "Song" as her friends call her) finds an opportunity to play detective. Driving through L.A.'s side streets, following leads, tailing suspects — it all appeals to Song's romantic ideal of the noir hero. But when she's knocked out while investigating a mysterious car and finds a body in her own trunk, Song lurches back to the real L.A., becoming embroiled in a crime that goes far beyond role play. What's more, this isn't the first time Song has stuck her nose in other people's business. As she fights to discover the truth about her friend's family, Song reveals one of her own deeply hidden secrets, something dark and damaging, urging her to see the current mystery through, to rectify the mistakes of her past life.