May 13, 2024
Shady dealings at a California elementary school propel this frothy adult debut from YA author Bryant (Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling). Overextended mom Mavis Miller has been roped into heading the new DEI committee at Knoll Elementary. Cornered into accepting the position by relentlessly peppy PTA president Trisha Holbrook, Mavis—one of the school’s few Black parents—has resolved to set aside any resentments and make an impact however she can. At Mavis’s first PTA meeting after accepting the position, Knoll’s new principal, Thomas Smith, announces that the school will be cutting ties with a district-wide gifted program, causing Trisha to lash out. Later in the evening, Mavis spots Trisha fumbling with heavy trash bags, rubber gloves, and a bottle of bleach as she leaves the school. The next morning, Principal Smith is nowhere to be found. Mavis immediately suspects Trisha of foul play, and joins forces with Knoll’s hunky school psychologist, Jack Cohen, to get to the bottom of the principal’s disappearance; in the process, they uncover class tensions seething beneath the school’s shiny facade. Bryant throws a few too many suspects into the mix, but Mavis is so endearing, and her chemistry with Jack so strong, that readers won’t mind. This deserves a sequel. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary.
Starred review from June 15, 2024
When a Southern California elementary school principal vanishes, an overworked single parent suspects a domineering PTA president of foul play. Between raising 7-year-old Pearl and working full time for a nonprofit that underpays and undervalues her, Mavis Miller already has enough on her plate. When PTA chair Trisha Holbrook asks Mavis--one of the only Black mothers at Knoll Elementary--to head the organization's DEI committee, Mavis' instinct is to decline: "DEI means diversity, equity, and inclusion, sure. But it also means free labor to be given willingly to fix problems that we didn't create." Mavis doesn't want to be seen as a Bad Mom, though, which is why she's present that evening when Trisha and Mr. Smith nearly come to blows during his first PTA meeting as Knoll's new principal. Hours later, Mavis is walking her dog when she spies a rubber-gloved, profanity-spewing Trisha trailing Clorox bottles while dragging heavy trash bags from the school to her minivan. Mavis doesn't suspect Trisha was up to anything nefarious until the next morning, when she drops Pearl off and discovers that Mr. Smith has gone missing. Panicked, she tells all to Jack Cohen--Knoll's blond, broad-shouldered school psychologist--who doesn't outright dismiss her concerns, but instead suggests the two of them team up for some "minor sleuthing." Mavis's first-person-present narration evinces a razor-sharp wit, complementing the clever, twist-riddled plot of YA author Bryant's effervescent adult debut. Myriad mysteries and an enchanting will-they-or-won't-they romance work in tandem to maintain tension throughout, while boldly drawn characters help spotlight issues such as racism, gentrification, and the devaluation of female labor. A sea of red herrings keeps readers on their toes. Fans of Alyssa Cole and Elle Cosimano should take note. A smart, funny novel that's certain to make a splash.
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June 14, 2024
This fun and twisty mystery from YA author Bryant (Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling) proves that she can also write for the adult audience. Mavis Miller, a hard-working single mom, lives with her feisty daughter, her retired dad, and a new puppy. Her plate is full, and she doesn't consider herself PTA mom material. When Trisha, the formidable PTA president at her daughter's school, asks Mavis if she'd like to run the DEI committee there, Mavis's first reaction is no, but then she reconsiders. As one of the few Black parents at the school, she thinks maybe she could make a difference there. But after the first contentious meeting, the school principal vanishes under suspicious circumstances. Mavis is determined to get to the bottom of his disappearance. Mavis's life is about to get very interesting, with the hot school psychologist helping her and her ex back on the scene, VERDICT Filled with snappy dialogue, laugh-out-loud scenes, quirky characters, a solid mystery, and a dash of romance, here's hoping there'll be more stories about Mavis.--Marianne Fitzgerald
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