Linda Maria Frank's latest Annie Tillery YA novel is her most exotic and ambitious yet. Set in the far-flung environs of Turkey, the book makes imaginative use of the region's caves, conical desert limestone formations, and crowded bazaars--and even bits of the local language. I was struck by the word "effendi" but easily able to decipher its meaning by the context. A few days later I ran across it in the New Yorker magazine, which convinced me it's a word Americans are beginning to know. While the story is an adventure, the setting becomes so familiar that the reader feels like a traveler who has settled into a strange place and become almost comfortable there. I say "almost" because the crimes and dangers produce enough anxiety to keep the reader on tenterhooks, hopeful for the perpetrator's exposure and a peaceful outcome. Annie herself is in danger at several points, and she is also a large part of the solutions. Aside from her, there are nearly a dozen major characters and half a dozen minor ones. One gets used to them and remembers, but had they been listed at the front of the book I would have consulted it a few times. Bottom line: This is a book that takes you away from yourself and lets you live along with Annie in an unusual place, among unusual people, for an exciting and enjoyable while.

Terrific read. Although I'm not a typical YA reader (a bit too old) I thoroughly enjoy this series. Young Annie Tillery is a character that the reader can engage as she soldiers on with her adventure in the face of some ominous threats. Her relationship with her boyfriend, and archeological dig partner is touching. The scene descriptions of the archeological site in Turkey are well done and enlightening. The author not only knows how to tell a compelling story but she adds some interesting scientific information. I have heard of mitochondrial DNA, but never knew its significance until I read this book. A fast moving fun read, with plot twists, clues and a great ending