TROUBLE IS A FRIEND OF MINE by Stephanie Tromly

Disclosure: I received a finished copy of the book from Pansing Books, a regional distributor, in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly • contains 314 pages • published August 4, 2015 by Hot Key Books • classified as Humour, Mystery, Young Adult • obtained through Pansing Books • read as audiobook • shelve on Goodreads

Synopsis:

Preparing to survive a typical day of being Digby's friend wasn't that different from preparing to survive the Apocalypse.

When Digby first shows up on her doorstep, Zoe Webster is not impressed. He's rude, he's smart, and he doesn't take no for an answer. Before she knows it, Digby had dragged her into a series of hilarious and dangerous situations all related to an investigation into the kidnapping of a girl from their high school. A kidnapping that may be connected to the tragic disappearance of Digby's own sister eight years ago.

Peppered with razor-sharp dialogue, this is a romance that is decidedly unromantic, a crime novel where catching the crook isn't the only hook, and a debut novel you won't forget.

Humour mixed with Mystery

Good humour that doesn’t try to be funny but absolutely is is hard to come by. In that department though, Trouble is a Friend of Mine delivered well. Intertwined with mystery, it made for a very entertaining read.

I used to love reading mystery novels in seventh grade but eventually grew out of them since the tropes did become repetitive. Trouble is a Friend of Mine to me was a great homage to those days with a touch of humour. The characters were witty, the plot thickened as new leads surfaced and yet this book remained fairly light-hearted. Nonetheless, it’s a book packed with more than a few surprises.

On the mystery front, Trouble is a Friend of Mine comes with a couple of twists that I didn’t expect. Some plot points were fairly far-fetched but given the style of writing, they worked.

Less Romance — Yay!

Readers who love their books with romance, may be a little disappointed by the slow developments but there’s enough room to let the imagination wander in that direction. For the rest of us who are indifferent or even prefer less of it, Trouble is a Friend of Mine has much to offer.

Open Ending

One thing that let me down a little was the absence of closure. As much as I’m a proponent of open endings, I’d like to know how things turn out at least for things that pretty much drove the main plot. In any case, Trouble is a Friend of Mine made me rejoice because I like funny books and there hardly are enough YA books to fill that gap without resorting to parody.