Missing Persons #2: Chocolate Lover (Paperback)

by M. E. Rabb (Author) "Don't leave me here," I pleaded with my sister, Sam..." (more)
Key Phrases: mechanics class, New York, Leo Shattenberg, Ruth Brauner (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up-This second entry in the series continues the Shattenberg sisters' adventures. Sophie is in high school and Sam is working as an assistant to Gus Jenkins, the local private eye. The girls begin a new missing-persons case when they meet Leo Shattenberg, a retired professor who shares their uncommon last name. Leo asks for their help in tracking down a woman who's been missing since 1947 in order to return a painting to her. The plot frequently veers off course so suddenly that Sophie seems to be forever explaining odd and illogical turns of events. However, even though the narrative is a little contrived, it's also sweet, wry, and entertaining. Adults are on the sidelines; it's Sophie, Sam, and their friends who solve the mystery. This lighthearted novel is bound to please mystery fans and reluctant teen readers alike.
Jane Halsall, McHenry Public Library District, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Reviewed with M. E. Rabb's The Rose Queen.

Gr. 7-10. The first titles in the new Missing Persons mystery series introduce teen orphans Samantha and Sophie Shattenberg, sisters who flee their Queens, New York, home after their father's death to escape their stepmother, who intends to abscond with the family money and ship Sophie off to boarding school. A few felonies later (fake documentation; funds illegally transferred from their father's account), the girls settle into a new life, and new identities, in tiny Venice, Indiana. In The Rose Queen, the girls become prime suspects in the disappearance of an obnoxious local beauty queen and crack the case to clear their names. That success turns into jobs with the local PI, and in Chocolate Lover, they connect art stolen during the Holocaust with its missing owner while exploring their own family tree. Although Rabb indulges in a few small-town stereotypes, she creates breezy, compelling mysteries that can be read as stand-alone titles. More interesting, though, are the deeper identity struggles of the likable sisters, who cherish their New York Jewish roots even as they try to live (and fall in love) while masquerading as young, midwestern gentiles. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Speak (June 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142500429
• ISBN-13: 978-0142500422
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #943,209 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, August 3, 2004

By	M. G. Schug (Leipzig, Germany) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

M.E. Rabb has done it again! Sophie and Sam are such cool characters and the story is so funny and exciting. I have to get the next book asap, because there's nothing else I want to read!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sophie and Sam Are So Cool!, July 13, 2004

By	Georgia Taber (West Palm Beach, FL United States) - See all my reviews

Sophie is like my best friend - funny, smart, and crazy about nail polish and boys.

I would be scared if I ran away from home, like she did, and didn't know anyone - but she's not scared, she's a heroine! Her new life in the weird mid-west is an adventure. I love Sophie & can't wait for the next book!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sophie and sam - a detective duo unmatched!, July 12, 2004

By	Georgia Taber (West Palm Beach, FL United States) - See all my reviews

I loved the Chocolate Lover by ME Rabb. It had intrigue, history, love connections, and yes - my favorite part: nonsense scrabble!

It is obvious that Sophie and Sam share a unique bond, but one that we can all relate to - especially teenage girls who are trying to find their place in the world. They also bring a sense of humor to every occasion, which we all need.

Bravo to M.E. Rabb for taking the plunge into a world of teenage girls and mastering it with wit & grace.