Below The Surface

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Something is wrong with Cooper. He's plagued by a fear he doesn't understand and can't control. Cooper just wants to escape, and a summer vacation aboard the restored cabin cruiser , The Getaway, with best friends Gordy, Hiro, and Lunk seems like the perfect way to do it. Two weeks of fun--with no mysteries or life-and-death danger. That's the plan. But their plans are shattered the very first night when they witness a murder. Or did they? Despite their intentions of leaving the investigation to the police, narrow misses and creepy encounters lure them in. Is there really a body floating in the underwater currents of the lake? The closer they get to the truth, the deeper into danger they get. Too late they see the trap. Now each of them must face their own buried fears . . . just below the surface. From School Library Journal Gr 7 Up--Four teenagers planning to spend a quiet summer together at the lake find themselves solving a murder in Shoemaker's third "Code of Silence" novel. Unfortunately, most savvy readers will solve the crime well before the characters do. Without the distraction of a well-plotted mystery, readers will notice the unrealistic dialogue and behavior of characters, and perhaps be hindered by an overabundance of description. Modern readers used to the strength and ingenuity of characters like Hermione and Katniss won't appreciate the book's portrayal of its few female characters as anxious and physically weak. While parents may appreciate the lack of sex, drugs, and cursing, this is not a book that many young teens will flock to read.--Sarah Jones, Clinton-Macomb Public Library, MI About the Author Tim Shoemaker is a national speaker and author of eleven books, including Code of Silence, Back Before Dark, and the third in the series, Below the Surface. His nonfiction titles include Super Husband, Super Dad ... You Can Be the Hero Your Family Needs. Tim has three grown sons and has been happily married for over thirty years. Tim has also been working with youth on a volunteer basis for over twenty years--and still loves it. Connect with Tim on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTimShoemaker Show more