THE GIRL IS MURDER

Rachel Botchan gives a strong performance of this YA standout. Iris Anderson just wants to help out her pop, whose private detective business is floundering. Since he came home wounded from Pearl Harbor and her mother committed suicide, Iris has had to endure a lot of change—no more Upper East Side apartment, no more private school. When Pop starts investigating the disappearance of one of Iris's public school classmates, she gives in to the urge to look into things on her own, befriending a local gang and getting in plenty of trouble. Botchan delivers pitch-perfect depictions of everyone involved—from the Polish Mrs. Mrozenski to Iris's former uptown best friend. Most important, Botchan’s portrayal of Iris is authentic and fresh. K.O. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2011]