Deadly+Deception

 Ashlyn Brennan is stunned when Mrs. Rothlis, the school's newly hired and well-liked guidance counselor, is brutally murdered--and Ashlyn's boyfriend, Drew, is arrested as the prime suspect. Drew has a history of drug addiction (his parents started feeding him cocaine when he was a child); his addictive persona is referred to as ``Andy.'' Could Andy have killed Mrs. Rothlis when she was trying to help Drew? After much investigation by Ashlyn, it emerges that Mrs. Brennan (Ashlyn’s ‘mother’) is the murderer and Mrs. Rothlis is Ashlyn's //real// mother. But when Mrs. Brennan find out that Ashlyn knows the truth, she and Drew become Mrs. Brennan's newest targets.
 * SUMMARY/REVIEW **

This book is most appropriate for 8th graders to 12th grade. References of drugs/drinking, and love/ intimacy come up in some parts of the book.

 Betsy Haynes has written novels in the genres of history, mysteries, supernatural, ghost stories and comedies. She graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and later was named Journalism Alumnus of the Year. She now lives in Texas with her husband Jim Haynes, who is also an author. Together they like to travel around the world, as well as give book talks and presentations on each of their books or the books they have worked on together. She has spoken at schools and writers conferences all over the U.S. and in Spain and Portugal, spending time there as a guest from the American Schools. She now also is an instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature and is teaching “Writing the Middle Grade Novel,” “Writing the Young Adult Novel” and “Creating Awesome Characters” for UCLA Extension on line. Betsy has said herself to be, “A child at heart,” and she her childhood friendships and rivalries with old enemies always find a way into her books and stories. She quoted, “Unlike most kids who can't wait to grow up, I've gotten younger--at least my stories have. I've stepped into the world of 7 to 10 year olds. ”
 * AUTHOR BIO **(1) & (2)

//The Great Mom Swap, The Dearly Departed, **Bone Chiller Series**: Beware the Shopping Mall, Back to School, Teacher Creature, Slime Time, Little Pet Shop of Horrors, Strange Brew, Frankenturkey II, Why I Quit the Baby-Sitters Club, The Dog Ate My Homework, Welcome to Alien Inn, Attack of the Killer Ants, **The Boy Talk Series:** Sneaking Around, Dude in Distress, Too Many Guys, Double Dumped **The Fabulous Five Super Edition Series:** The Fabulous Five in Trouble, Caribbean Adventure, Missing You, Yearbook, Memories **The Santa Diaries:** A Newfangled Christmas, North Pole Virus, Santa’s Stowaway //
 * OTHER WORKS **

ALA Quick Pick, the //New// //York Library Books for the Teen Age//, and was on the Texas Lone Star Reading List in 1994
 * AWARDS **(1)

Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Family <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Mother/daughter relationship <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Love <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Trust <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Friendship <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">1) [] <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">2) []
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">HISTORICAL CONTEXT **
 * <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">MAJOR THEMES **
 * <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">CITATIONS **