Have You Voted Today?

In honor of Election Day I thought I'd get political today -- political mysteries, that is!
With opposing  viewpoints, power struggles, and behind-the-scene scarmbing, politics always make for great mystery and intrigue.

Here are a few political mysteries for teens and tweens the other sleuths and I came up with:

Matthew Livingston and the Politics of Death
by Marco Conelli

When Serling High School reporter Dennis Sommers is assigned to cover the speech of a local politician, he witnesses a sniper's bullet cutting the candidate's campaign short. In response, he pulls Matthew Livingston into the mix. Matthew is a prodigy of deduction-a Sherlock Holmes of the here and now, with a keen understanding of truth and lies ... often keener than his local police department. But does Matthew have a nose for politics?

In book three of the Matthew Livingston Mystery Series, Matthew, Dennis, and the multi-talented Sandra Small embark on a quest to expose an extremist who plays upon public fear-an extremist who is willing to kill to cover his tracks. As panic fills their small town, the brave trio must dodge the pestering of the police while using tech-savvy tricks and mind-bending logic to catch a killer.

As If Being 12-3/4 Isn't Bad Enough:, My Mother is Running for President!
by Donna Gephart

As if being 12 3/4 isn’t bad enough, Vanessa Rothrock’s mother is running for president and it’s ruining her life. Isn’t it enough that her enormous feet trip her up all the time, even on stage during the school spelling bee? Isn’t it enough that Reginald Trumball, love of Vanessa’s pathetic life, read her personal and private list of deficiencies to some boy she doesn’t even know? And that the Boob Fairy hasn’t visited her even once?! Doesn’t Mom realize that Vanessa needs her more than the rest of the country? More importantly, doesn’t she realize that she may be in grave danger? Vanessa's receiving threatening notes at school–notes that imply some psycho has it out for her mother at the Democratic National Convention. Vanessa might be the only person who can save her. But does she have the courage to do what that requires?

Capture the Flag
by Kate Messner

Three kids get caught up in an adventure of historic proportions!

Anna, José, and Henry are complete strangers with more in common than they realize. Snowed in together at a chaotic Washington D.C. airport, they encounter a mysterious tattooed man, a flamboyant politician, and a rambunctious poodle named for an ancient king. Even stranger, news stations everywhere have announced that the famous flag that inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner" has been stolen! Anna, certain that the culprits must be snowed in too, recruits Henry and José to help catch the thieves and bring them to justice.

But when accusations start flying, they soon realize there's more than justice at stake. As the snow starts clearing, Anna, José, and Henry find themselves in a race against time (and the weather!) to prevent the loss of an American treasure.

The Case of the Crooked Campaign
Lewis B. Montgomery

Campaign mania hits Westview when Jazz decides to run for school president. But is someone stealing all her best ideas? And how? Milo and Jazz must solve the mystery—before Election Day!

Know a title that fits the 'bill'?
Leave it in the comments and we'll add it to the list!  

Happy Election Day.
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Laura Ellen
author of Blind Spot
www.lauraellenbooks.com