Ali Cross by James Patterson

Ali Cross is the son of the famous Washington DC detective Alex Cross.  Ali's friend Gabe goes missing after school before Christmas Break.  That night Ali's house gets broken into and his laptop and also Alex and Bri's police weapons!  As he hunts for Gabe and enlists his friends to help, he begins to see that the robberies and Gabe being missing are somehow tied together. As Ali keeps digging he puts himself in danger and also has to deal with his dad being accused of hurting someone in the line of duty. 

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrators.  Great book for diversity, mystery, and action.  

 

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

 Avery Kylie Grambs goes from living in her car to her inheriting millions.  Tobias Hawthorne has pretty much disinherited his family and given all the money, house, cars, everything to Avery.  Her half-sister Libby is also moving in with her to Hawthorne House.  As Avery adjusts to this new life, she is also in danger.  Someone does not want her to have the inheritance and the options are endless with who it could be.  

Filled with puzzles, clues, and lots of action it gives lots of mystery and solving.  I loved it!  There will be a sequel and I can't wait. 

Whispering Pines by Heidi Lang & Kati Bartkowski

In the vein of Stranger Things type story with other dimensions...

Rae's dad went missing and her mom has moved them to Whispering Pines.  But there are weird goings-on there.  The summer before four kids were playing hide and seek and three of them ended up with their eyes missing... the fourth was left behind.  Caden is Rae's neighbor and kind of a loner who is considered weird because he has psychic abilities, his mother talks to ghosts, and he sprinkles salt to ward off evil.  But Caden also has a deep secret that he will need to share with Rae and his mother before they will be able to solve what is happening in the town.  

Great supernatural story, some gory parts (eyes missing), lots of action and mystery to solve.  Looking forward to the sequel.  

 

Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie

 

Scriiiiiitch Scraaaaatch...... 

Claire is a scientist, but her dad is a paranormal expert.  He has started his own ghost tour in Chicago and Claire has to end up helping him when the normal person can't.  She is mortified.  Claire is also dealing with her best friend, who seems to be making a new best friend.  As Claire finishes helping her dad with the tour she sees a little boy on the bus, but there were no kids on the tour.... The next thing you know weird things are happening:  marker writing on the wall, bathrooms flooding, broken picture frames.  Claire with the help of her brother Sam will have to find out what the ghost wants and Claire will have to learn to not judge people based on their first impression.  

Loved this for middle school.  Spooky factor, friendship struggles, has a crush on a boy, and just general middle school growing up struggles.  I also really loved learning about some Chicago history and things I didn't know.