Return to Sender - by Lauren Draper (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Brodie McKellon didn't leave town in handcuffs, not exactly. But all the same, in only one night, she lost her best friends and her home. And that same night, the town of Warwick lost the Adder Stone, a supposedly magical ring of local legend. The events, Brodie maintains, were not related. Four years later, Brodie's returned to Warwick to identify the real thief and get back everything she lost. She can clear her name, win back her friends Elliott and Levi, and save Gran's house from the bank. But as Brodie starts investigating, she gets pulled into a different mystery, of three friends and their "dead letters"--mail that's been lost over the years. And soon she finds that there are times when the things you find aren't the things you even knew you had lost. A house becomes a home. Some friends become family. And other friends, well, they might become something more. As long as Brodie can be brave enough to find herself. "--

Book Synopsis

This layered and compelling cozy mystery is all about found family, first love, and one town's tragedies, perfect for fans of Melina Marchetta, Kristin Dwyer, and Nina LaCour.

Brodie McKellon didn't leave town in handcuffs; not exactly. But all the same, in only one night, she lost her best friends and her home. And that same night, the town of Warwick lost the Adder Stone, a supposedly magical ring of local legend.

The events, Brodie maintains, were not related.

Four years later, Brodie's returned to Warwick to identify the real thief and get back everything she lost. She can clear her name, win back her friends Elliott and Levi, and save Gran's house from the bank.

But as Brodie starts investigating, she gets pulled into a different mystery, of three friends and their "dead letters"--mail that's been lost over the years. And soon she finds that there are times when the things you find aren't the things you even knew you had lost. A house becomes a home. Some friends become family. And other friends, well, they might become something more. As long as Brodie can be brave enough to find herself.

Review Quotes

"The story unfolds slowly, allowing space for Levi and Brodie's relationship to sweetly bloom, with pranks and sarcastic banter thrown into the mix . . . Funny and vulnerable characters populate this quirky town. Thoughtfully weaves a mystery into a poignant tale about a young woman finding home." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Brodie's narration is whip-smart, but her dry wit is tempered by the excerpts of the letters, which have a poignant sense of longing. The dynamics between Brodie, Eli, and Levi are authentically messy, with realistic worries about what their pasts mean for their future. The romance . . . is delightfully sweet, bringing the story to a wholesome end." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books