Edentown: A Coming-of-Age Mystery

by D.J. Edmiston

A discovery that will shatter reality... Fifteen-year-old Samantha Salinger uncovers a secret that will alter her life forever. Confronting paraplegia and finding solace in the Internet, she will never trust another human being again. One year later, quirky private detective "Hawk" Hawking is hired to find a girl who may become a killer's next victim. Her name--Samantha Salinger. But Hawk's most devastating discovery is that the killer threatens not only both of their lives, but the nature of existence itself.

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 11, 2012

About the author

D.J. Edmiston is the author of "Beyond the Shadow Wall," "The Stone of Mordim," and "The Master's Shrine," books 1-3 in the Fantasticademy series (upper MG fantasy). He is also the author of Edentown (YA coming-of-age mystery.) He has been an actor, director, and writer of nine produced plays, six of which that have won or placed in national contests. He resides in Idaho with his wife and two young daughters.

Reviews

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through goodreads. I was a First Read Winner of this book. This book really moved me. It wasn't at all really what I had expected. It had a wonderful dialog and very well thought out charters. It is a touching coming of age story. Dealing with having to live with a handicap, following an accident, and loss of a loved one. There was also the mystery of a possible killer on the loose. This is a wonderful book and I would recommend this book to anyone to read. This story will stay with you for some time..... Very good read.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sinuous jaunt of an enigmatic novel turned out to be quite interesting in the end. Clever in premise and intricate in execution, it maintains its mystery right up until the giant twist at the end. And, a few stumbles in prose alongside a bit of early cliched language for the private detective aside, it reads quite smoothly as well. After the characters and dilemma are established, it clips right along and keeps you involved. It's an interesting read.

This book was won from the publisher through the Goodreads First Reads program. Thank you!

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this coming-of-age novel. The characters were excellently crafted, realistic, and well-rounded. The drama started with a bang and kept me interested until the big twist at the end. Sam Salinger is chasing boys like any other teen until she catches her father in a hotel with another woman. Her life implodes catastrophically, so she buries herself in an alternate world to deal with it. Her mom and the boy next door try to bring her out of it.

[Conny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a First Read Winner of this book and I have to say it really moved me. It was not quite what I expected, somehow when I initially read the back of the book I thought it would be more of a murder mystery. But what I found instead was a very touching coming of age story that dealt with the burden of having to live with a handicap, following a bad accident, and the loss of a loved one. Not to mention the mystery of a possible killer on the loose. It had a witty dialog and I loved all the characters and I think it will stay with me for a long time.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha Salinger buries herself in an alternative computer world to avoid the reality of a new school where her classmates torment her for being a paraplegic riding the special education bus. It doesn't help that her father caught her by a motel skipping school and was killed as he was driving her back to class. Along the way, her life becomes threatened and it is the responsibility of "Hawk" Hawking, private detective, to save her before the world ends for both of them.

Very good character development. Grief and suicidal tendencies handled tastefully.