The Christopher Killer

THE CHRISTOPHER KILLER by Alane Ferguson
Category: Mystery/Thriller
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 5/4/06
Publisher: Viking
Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"
Rating: 5 Stars

In the quiet, small town of Silverton, Colorado, eighteen-year-old Cameryn Mahoney is planning to follow in her father's
footsteps and pursue a career in forensic pathology. Her dad, the unassuming yet efficient Pat Mahoney, is the local county
coroner, and Cameryn is determined to follow his lead--much to the chagrin and near-disgust of her Mammaw. Cameryn's
grandmother is convinced that her "love" of death and dying, and her insistence on not becoming a "real" doctor, along with her
inability to cook, will lead her down the wrong path.

But Cameryn is determined, and she's also thrilled when she finally talks her dad into letting her assist him. After all, sure, the
county coroner does deal with death occasionally, but they haven't had an actual murder in decades, so her father figures there
can't be any harm in letting his daughter tag along to scenes or assist with autopsies. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

There has been a murder in this sleepy Rocky Mountain town. And it's not just the murder of a stranger, but Cameryn's
friend, Rachel Geller. Added to that is the fact that it's not a random murder, but seems to be part of a serial killer's spree.
The murderer always leaves a St. Christopher medal on the victim's body, thus earning him the moniker The Christopher Killer.
As Cameryn sets out to assist her father, she suddenly finds herself drawn into a murder investigation. As the police in this
small town search for clues as to who may have murdered the lovely Rachel, Cameryn is determined to start putting her
knowledge of forensics to good use.

This is a great book, similar to the style and stories of the television show CSI. If you're interested in forensics or just like
watching the process on television, you're going to thoroughly enjoy the mystery that is THE CHRISTOPHER KILLER. Not
to mention the fact that this is just the beginning of a new series, so there will be more books starring Cameryn down the road!
The other great thing about the book, besides its excellent characters, dialogue, and storyline, is the fact that even though it's a
mystery that deals with murder, it's a good fit even for middle-school readers. You won't go wrong picking up a copy of this
first book in the FORENSIC MYSTERY series!