High school sleuth Mickey Bolitar continues to find trouble...or maybe it finds him (Shelter, 2011). In a spooky house, Mickey squares off with a gnarled crone he knows only as the Bat Lady. She freaks him out by telling him that his father is not dead, and Mickey responds with a revelation of his own: that the paramedic who whisked his father away on the day of his death is a notorious Nazi war criminal. As implausible as this sounds, the Bat Lady's violent reaction seems a validation of his claim. This troubling issue is shoved onto a back burner with the news that Mickey's friend Rachel was shot by an intruder, who also killed her mother. The mutual attraction of Mickey and Rachel is a thorn in the side of her boyfriend, basketball star Troy Taylor, who also happens to be threatened by Mickey's mad court skills. Since Troy's dad is the police chief, Mickey finds himself treated like a suspect. He and outcast pals Ema and Spoon try to unravel both mysteries, too busy to even note the arrival of movie star Angelica Wyatt, who's managed by Mickey's Uncle Myron, with whom he lives (and around whom Coben has spun a successful series for adults). Coben deftly weaves these multiple plot threads into a compelling whole. An involving thriller that moves like lightning. (Mystery. 11-16)

Still reeling from events in Shelter, Mickey and new friends Ema and Spoon dive headfirst into another dangerous mystery when Rachel is shot and her mother is killed. Meanwhile, Mickey suspects his father may not really be dead. The onslaught of secrets and sub-stories works thanks to solid plotting and lightning-quick pacing; Coben has a knack for crafting twists readers won't anticipate.

Barely recovered from the adventures of Shelter (2011), Mickey Bolitar plunges full force into his second mystery when classmate Rachel's skull is grazed by a bullet and her mother is killed. With the help of Ema, a feisty goth, and Spoon, a kid with Asperger's-like behavior, the high-school sleuth resolves to track down the shooter at all costs. Meanwhile, there are ongoing questions surrounding his father's death, the Abeona Shelter's secret mission to save children, and whom to trust. When not saving his town from murder and corruption and getting to know more about his sidekicks in the process, Mickey hopes to make his school's basketball team, just like his estranged uncle. His uncle's imparted advice ("There are always consequences to being a hero") help direct the teen's choices and slowly heal their awkward relationship. Mickey's fast-paced, first-person narration won't disappoint his growing fan base. The satisfying conclusion leaves enough open-ended questions to continue this gripping series. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The only question is whether Coben's adult megastardom crosses over to youth. Given the big author tour and print and TV ads, we're betting on it.