Whistling in the Dark

I just finished this book and it was very enjoyable. The story is told from the point of view of 10 year old Sally. She is the middle child of three girls: Nell (the oldest), Sally, and Troo (the youngest). Troo and Sally are only a year apart and it is Sally's duty to protect her.

The year is 1959 and Sally is trying very hard to live up to the promise she made to her dying father: take care of Troo (whose real name is Margaret but nicknamed Real Trooper, Troo for short) and tell her mother that dad forgives her. She doesn't know what her father forgives her mother for, but she has every intent to make sure her mother knows.

The summer of 1959 a killer is loose in the usually safe neighborhood in Missouri. Two girls have been found molested and murdered and there are no leads. Sally is pretty certain she knows who the killer is and that she is the next victim. Sally is going to try her hardest to make sure nothing happens to herself and Troo, while also trying to deal with a busy older sister and a very sick mother. She is determined to get the killer before the killer gets her.

I thought Troo had a mouth that would make a sailor blush, which I found a bit unrealistic for a child who is a few months away from her 10th birthday in 1959 (2007 sure, but not 1959). With that being said, I really loved Troo and Sally. These two girls are all they have. Their mother is in the hospital, sick with a staph infection (that she got at the hospital after gall bladder surgery). Their older sister Nell is too busy to ensure their proper care (feeding, bathing, usual child care needs); she's busy with her new boyfriend Eddie and her future as a hairdresser. So, it is just the two girls. They stick together, gathering information from neighborhood kids and adults about the murders, as well as popping in at a few households for dinner once Nell stops buying groceries. Sometimes Sally's train of thought jumped its track, but I think that's what I liked about her. She was very focused on taking care of Troo, praying for her mother, and trying to convince one of the adults she trusted that she knew who the killer was, and it was all very difficult for her. I think any child would have a hard time trying to be that responsible while also trying to be a child. Sally was my favorite character.

This a first book for Lesley Kagen, and I am looking forward to reading more from her.