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Torn to Pieces by Margot McDonnell – copyright 2008, lexile level NC510.
Anne is 17. Her mother travels a lot with her job writing biographies as a freelance writer, or that’s what she’s told Anne and Anne’s grandparents, or are they really her grandparents? The last time Anne’s mother leaves on a trip she tells Anne a financial trust has been set up for Anne and her mother shows Anne the bank account balance. Wow! Where did her mother get that much money? Mom gives Anne instructions of what to do if anything every happens to Mom, including a will and burial information. Anne doesn’t think anything about it until Mom doesn’t come home. Mom’s not at the hotel she told Anne she’d be staying at, her cell phone number has been disconnection, and someone has left a strange message on the answering machine threatening Mom. There are 2 boys in Anne’s life so there’s a little romance, but one of the boys, we learn at the end of the story, is an FBI agent, hired to guard Anne. The story involves the witness protection program, smuggling, and robbery. This is a great read for those wanting a suspenseful mystery with a little romance.