Youthful Sleuths: The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant (Required)

Summary


When Pia's grandmother dies is a horrible accident involving hairspray and an Advent wreath, Pia becomes known as the girl whose grandmother blew up.  Suddenly finding herself as the class outcast, Pia becomes the reluctant friend of another outcast: StinkStefan.  Pia and Stefan also have another unlikely friend, Herr Schiller, a kind old widower who tells them fantastical stories about the history of their town.  When a young classmate of Pia and Stefan's, Katharina Linden, disappears, suspicion quickly falls on the dark and mysterious Herr Duster, whom Pia and Stefan soon learn is actually Herr Schiller's brother.  Town gossip Frau Kessel blames Herr Duster for the disappearance of Herr Schiller's daughter many years ago.  The story is that Herr Duster and Herr Schiller (who changed his name after the disappearance to distance himself from his estranged brother) were both in love with the same woman.  The beautiful Hannelore chose Herr Schiller over Herr Duster, and many in the town believe that Herr Duster took his niece to get revenge.  When more girls go missing, Pia and Stefan take it upon themselves to investigate, convinced Herr Duster is guilty.  Are the new disappearances connected to the disappearance of Herr Schiller's daughter all those years ago? Is Herr Duster the culprit or just a innocent scapegoat?  Will Pia and Stefan be able to find the truth?  Read Helen Grant's The Vanishing of Katharina Linden to find out.

Review


First, I have to say that the copy of this novel that I read was an "advance uncorrected proof," so I don't know if major changes were made to the novel before final publication or not. Overall, I enjoyed the novel.   As a former German major, I appreciated the insight into the German culture provided in the book and feel that it would be a great title for students to read for exposure to other ways of life.  I did feel that the pace of the novel was slow to start; I would be concerned that some readers might give up on the novel before the real action begins.  Also, I figured out the mystery long before the two junior detectives. While I enjoyed reading the remainder of the novel and finding out all of the details that led to the disappearances, I do feel that perhaps the guilty party was too obvious--though perhaps a younger reader  might not have found it so.  In the end, though, I think that reading the novel could lead to some great discussions about making assumptions and placing the blame.  The treatment of Pia and, to a lesser extent Stefan, by their classmates is also a timely one with the growing concern over bullying in our society.  This aspect of the novel would also be great for prompting discussion.

References


[Photograph of cover of the vanishing of Katharina Linden]. (2011).
     Retrieved on September 26, 2011, from: http://www.penguin.com.au/
     products/9780141325736/vanishing-katharina-linden

Grant, H. (2009). The vanishing of Katharina Linden. New York: Delecorte
     Press.