Hiding Carly

by Ann Eisenstein

Eleven year old Sean is in search of the truth. Someone murdered his father, Special Agent Max Gray, and the FBI has officially closed the case. Now it is up to him to find out who was to blame. While investigating online, Sean stumbles upon a mysterious connection between his father and that new girl in his class. Now he has two puzzles to solve. What really happened to his dad and what does Carly have to do with it? In the face of danger, Sean sets aside his fear and finds the courage, compassion, and conviction to "follow the evidence."

Praise and Reviews for Hiding Carly

"Ann Eisenstein’s debut murder-mystery middle grade novel HIDING CARLY received a resoundingly positive review from the Wright State University Press. There is a strong FBI theme in this first book and Eisenstein is now collaborating with the FBI to continue with the SEAN GREY, JUNIOR SPECIAL AGENT series." ~Pen & Palette SCBWI-Carolinas, Summer 2011


"Eisenstein chooses words that evoke the wide span of emotions that run through a sixth grader's mind. She keeps readers in suspense on every page. " ~Joan Y. Edwards, Author, Illustrator, Motivational Speaker

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Amazon, Young Adult, Childrens

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 21, 2011

Reviews

[Joanna Marple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sean and Carly are very credible Middle Grade characters, and will appeal to both male and female preteen readers. Sean's loyalty to his dead father and desire to make him proud are strong motivators. His passion to clear his father's maligned name, and empathy for his new friend, Carly's, situation make him a very likable protagonist.

There is a strong suspenseful plot, which will keep readers turning the pages - FBI involvement, some great twists, strong characters, well written and a very satisfactory ending. This is a great middle grade novel and I look forward to more from this author.

[Dan Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This enjoyable, quick read is about Sean Gray trying to get over the death of his father, an FBI agent who is shot in the line of duty. As Sean probes into the his father's death he comes face-to-face with several things which just don't make sense. Buoyed on by the things his father taught him, he perseveres to get at the truth, knowing that he has to do what is right, even if everyone else is telling him to "mind his own business." I found this book hard to put down and will definitely recommend it to my students as it is a good addition to our classroom collection of mysteries.

[Roxie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle Grade perfect for reluctant readers with 11-year-old boy digging for clues into his father’s murder, his mysterious neighbor, while dodging the school bully. Great book, wonderful action, series in the making and film rights in discussion.

[Richard Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read. Written for younger readers, but was enjoyable and well done.

[Jane Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6th graders will love this book. Also the author Ann Eisenstein lives in Columbia! The man character's dad went to Dreher High School!!

[JoAnne Keltner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was so well-written, fast-paced, and suspenseful. I highly recommend this book to any middle grade student who loves to read mysteries.

[Cara · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was very jumpy, and there were important parts that felt glossed over. Then there was the whole grandmother storyline which seemed to be pointlessly sad. I would not recommend this one.

[Lisa Tortorello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean is dealing with the death of his dad, a former FBI agent, and when the word on the street is that Sean's dad was dirty, he just couldn't accept that. Not his dad. His dad always played by the rules and "followed the evidence". When Sean sees his dad's former partner at school for the Junior Special Agent Program he is not very forthcoming with answers. Is the information classified, or is something more sinister going on? On top of this, 11 year old Sean has to deal with Andy his classroom nemesis and Carly the new girl who infatuates him. Sean definitely takes after his dad and will stop short of nothing to follow the evidence leading to the truth and the realization that people aren't always what they seem.

As a teacher, I know children in the middle grades will enjoy this book!

[Midori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book! I wish it just kept on going and going and going! Though the beginning was kind of confusing the rest of the book was simply delightful! I loved it so much. I was on the edge of my seat gasping. The setting seemed so real I felt like I was there watching it all happen.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. Not all that suspenseful. Not sure why the bully suddenly becomes Sean's friend. Pretty good dialogue. Pretty good story arc.

[Samira · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a very good book but hard to follow at times. It also ended rather abruptly. Overall it was a fairly good read.

[Laurie Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son just read this book and loved it. He is excited to read the next book in the series!