Smokescreen

Point Crime: The Beat #3

by David Belbin

There is a serial arsonist at large, going by the name of Phoenix. First Clare Coppola's old school is hit and then Hyson Green library. What will be the next target? Clare is determined to find Phoenix, but it is hard to track down someone with no apparent motive. A slow burning mystery that features the return of Ian Jagger and introduces dubious politician Roger Wellington. With a new afterword by the author about the writing of the novel.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Crime

ebook

First published March 15, 1996

About the author

Belbin's work is known for breaking boundaries and dealing responsibly with difficult social issues that affect teenagers. He first attained success with a number of books for Scholastic's Point Crime series.

Reviews

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad, I didn't guess who the arsonist was!
* An arsonist is burning places down, a bank, a school, a library and a lawyer's offices. Known only as 'Phoenix' they send letters to the newspapers accepting responsibility for the blazes.
* Ben is still going out with both Ruth and Charlene. He decides to break up with Charlene, then she gets trapped in the office blaze and he ends up in the hospital by her side. So who knows?
* Claire and Neil both have time working with CID. Claire goes to great lengths to try and identify who Phoenix is. Neil seems a little put out that Claire is also working with CID, she was supposed to be impressed that he was working with CID! At the end of the book, after moving into his new house, Neil proposes (I think Claire will be terrified and run away, I really can't see her accepting when she's kinda iffy about Neil.)

[Rebecca Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great