Just as so many other adult authors (such as John Grisham and James Patterson) are doing these days, author Linda Fairstein is talking a dip in the younger end of the reading pool.  Into the Lion’s Den is a middle grade mystery set in current day New York City–complete with Uber and technology.  Devlin, the protagonist, is a spunky twelve-year-old who has a fluid relationship with 100% truth (“fiblets”) and as a real go-getter, she sometimes leaps before she looks.  She is surrounded by a multi-cultural group of friends.

This is a story that clips right along with clues and suspects, and the story is mainly propelled by a lot of dialogue among the characters.  Fans of the John Grisham series Theodore Boone would like enjoy this series also. 

Review of an Advance Reading Copy provided by Dial Books for Young Readers

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore: Character falls in a minor accident and bloodies knees,; reference to a character’s father being killed in an explosion before she was born; two tween girls feel threatened/frightened by a man and they run into a building; reference to a vehicle accident with injuries; passing reference to prior police/prosecution activities involving human trafficking, no details or descriptions; man threatens two tweens with a sharp object; scene of peril; report someone punched someone in nose.

Sex/Nudity:  One character is frequently inquiring of other characters if they have a boyfriend or if a certain person is their boyfriend; girl seems romantically interested in a boy (implied); brief reference to human trafficking (no details, no innuendo); girl hugs boy (in friendship).

Mature Subject Matter:

Theft/Crime, Death of a Parent.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None