Synopses & Reviews
" White Pine nominee, 2009
Spinetingler Magazine Award Nominee, 2009
Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2009"
"A boy maybe twelve years old, on a bike, stopped next to Dooley, looked at the kid sprawled on the pavement and said, "Is he dead?"
"Yeah, I think so," Dooley said. In fact, he was sure of it because there was no air going into or coming out of the lungs of the kid on the pavement. Also, the kid's open eyes were staring at nothing, and his head was twisted, as if he had turned to look at something just before he made contact with the hard surface of the path."
Right away, Dooley knows he's in trouble. For one thing he's got a record. For another, the dead kid isn't exactly a stranger - and he's no friend.
So slowly the net begins to close around 17-year-old Dooley, a troubled lone wolf who has a couple of strikes against him already. Not many are on Dooley's side; in fact at times he even wonders whether his uncle - a retired cop - thinks he's guilty again. There's a big question of trust in their uneasy relationship, and his uncle is the only one standing between Dooley and big time disaster.
The dead kid's sister Beth is someone Dooley would like to have think better of him as well - but she also suspects he's involved in the crime. And all around him are other teenagers at school and in the world he's drawn into who would like to pin him with responsibility for a growing number of murders that swirl through the city.
Norah McClintock, five-time winner of the Arthur Ellis juvenile crime award, has now moved into a different realm with a richly detailed novel aimed at older teens. Gritty, hard-edged, " Dooley Takes the Fall "is the first in a trilogy of mysteries about a troubled teenager struggling to free himself from the tentacles of his past and the implications of the present conspiracies that surround him.
Review
'\"She (Norah McClintock) is among the authors for young adults who simply write realistic, entertaining, tempting books. . . The book clips along speedily in a plot that\'s far more interesting than any video game, but its best appeals lie in its recognizable depictions of a high school life that\'s mainly invisible to adults, and in Dooley himself. . . Young readers - young non-readers - will recognize his voice, and they\'ll like it.\"
-- \"The London Free Press\"
\"McClintock, in her usual competent style, adeptly scatters clues throughout the novel to foreshadow the final unveiling. . . With well-paced action, graphic dialogue, intelligent prose, an engaging protagonist, a nice variety of secondary characters, and a compelling story, this page-turner should appeal strongly to fans of the mystery genre.
Highly Recommended\"
-- \"CM Magazine\"
.,.\"the author does a good job of characterization especially with Dooley and his stiffnecked uncle, a former cop, who turns out to be more sympathetic than readers might have expected.\"
-- \"Booklist\"
\"\"Dooley Takes the Fall\" is a superbly written, entertaining drama. The plot is well executed, and the characters and their relationships are interesting.\"
-- \"VOYA\"
\"This is a powerful, often harrowing novel that will appeal to those who appreciate books about people surviving in spite of grave injustices.\"
-- \"School Library Journal\"
\"McClintock walks the delicate line of making the suspicions reasonable while keeping Dooley\'s risky actions understandable as well. . . Mystery fans who appreciate a personal touch as much as a plot will enjoy championing this underdog detective.\"
-- \"Bulletin of the Center forChildren\'s Books\"'
Synopsis
In her third novel about the intense and difficult life of seventeenyear- old Ryan Dooley, Norah McClintock doesn’t let up on the challenges and potential disasters faced by her complex protagonist. At the heart of Victim’s Rights is Dooley’s girlfriend Beth, whose loving presence is a constant reminder to keep on the straight and narrow, away from the unsavoury life and shady characters that peopled Dooley’s past. But when rumours start to swirl about Beth’s possible unfaithfulness, Dooley’s world is pushed to the brink – and it’s up to him to unravel the increasingly complex truth, or be overwhelmed by the poisonous rumours swirling around him. Norah McClintock’s Dooley series is tautly and richly told. The stories explore the often dangerous urban world of today’s teenagers. Far from being a role model, Ryan Dooley is much more – a character with layers of understanding of what’s going on around him, a character who struggles to fight off the temptations that encroach so easily on him, a young man who above all is learning about loyalty and trying to do the right thing.
Synopsis
' In her third novel about the intense and difficult life of seventeenyear- old Ryan Dooley, Norah McClintock doesn’t let up on the challenges and potential disasters faced by her complex protagonist. At the heart of Victim’s Rights is Dooley’s girlfriend Beth, whose loving presence is a constant reminder to keep on the straight and narrow, away from the unsavoury life and shady characters that peopled Dooley’s past. But when rumours start to swirl about Beth’s possible unfaithfulness, Dooley’s world is pushed to the brink – and it’s up to him to unravel the increasingly complex truth, or be overwhelmed by the poisonous rumours swirling around him. Norah McClintock’s Dooley series is tautly and richly told. The stories explore the often dangerous urban world of today’s teenagers. Far from being a role model, Ryan Dooley is much more – a character with layers of understanding of what’s going on around him, a character who struggles to fight off the temptations that encroach so easily on him, a young man who above all is learning about loyalty and trying to do the right thing. '
Synopsis
At the heart of VICTIM RIGHTS is Ryan Dooley's girlfriend, Beth, whose loving presence is a constant reminder to keep on the straight and narrow, away from the unsavory life and shady characters that have peopled Dooley's past. But when rumours start to swirl about Beth's possible unfaithfulness and then Beth is arrested for murder, Dooley's world is pushed to the brink and it's up to him to unravel the increasingly complex truth, or be overwhelmed by the rumours swirling around him.
About the Author
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Norah McClintock was born and raised in Montreal but now calls Toronto home. Armed with a degree in history from McGill University, she has worked in the non-profit sector as an editor and writer for many years. McClintock is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada.
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