A Quinnie Boyd Mystery: The Maypop Kidnapping

In the coastal village of Maiden Rock, Maine, Quinnie Boyd's teacher has disappeared. Quinnie thinks it's a kidnapping case, but her mom, the town sheriff just thinks the teacher has left town. Still, Quinnie's going to follow her instincts that something's wrong. Her investigation will take her through a damp and smelly marsh, a lobster pound, and some of Maine's messiest places. She'll even get help from her glamourous new neighbor, Mariella. As the girls hunt for clues, they'll encounter a swarm of cats, two nuns with a speeding habit, and a group of tattooed rocker-types. But will they find Quinnie's teacher?

“"When Ms. Stillford does not show up on the first day of school, 13-year-old Quinnie Boyd is convinced her beloved tutor has been kidnapped. Quinnie, clever and endowed with a vivid imagination, is initially unable to convince her mother, the sheriff of the small coastal village of Maiden Rock, Maine (as well as its postmistress and real estate agent; it's that small a town), to mount a search. Missing her best friend, Zoe, who is in Scotland for the year, but aided by her maybe-crush, Ben, and by the new girl, skinny-jeans-clad Mariella from New York City, Quinnie mucks through the marsh, sneaks into houses, spies on visiting tattooed rockers, and jumps to conclusionswith the best intentions but often humorous results. Much of the book's humor derives from the quirky, colorful Maiden Rockers, particularly the two elderly nuns who drive too fast, can't figure out recycling, live in the convent with hordes of cats, and have a puzzling need for bat guano. Quinnie is a memorable protagonist with an engaging voice, confused about her feelings for Ben and her anger at the mother she loves even as she barrels full tilt and against her mother's instructions into her amateur sleuthing. Surrisi's debut novel is a delightful cozy mystery, snugly mixing intrigue and humor, with an unpredictable and satisfying resolution."Kirkus Reviews”

"C. M. Surrisi's Quinnie Boyd is one of the cleverest most memorable young teen protagonists I've met in quite a while! Set in a small coastal village in Maine, much of the humor in this fast-paced read revolves around the quirky villagers, particularly the two elderly nuns who drive like NASCAR racers. Surrisi's debut novel is an engaging cozy mystery, with unpredictable twists and turns and an ending you'll applaud!" —Cindy Norris, Author Event Coordinator, Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe

C. M. Surrisi is a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina. The Maypop Kidnapping is her first novel.

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