“L. Ryan and Susan Hanafee’s YA mystery explores murder, prejudice, and belonging in a small Indiana town.”
“Leo Merser is a trans teen starting his senior year at a new school. He is worried about fitting in—especially after everyone at his previous school abandoned him when he started transitioning—but he doesn’t anticipate having to deal with a murder. However, at the bottom of a stairwell, he finds a dead body.
Before turning investigator (“I was about to go full detective mode… Like a trans Enola Holmes”), he befriends the open-minded Alia, Jamie, and Chris, and he grows close to Colleen, a custodian who recognizes him from his church. While Colleen is kind to Leo, she has enemies, including her hostile brother Paul (who hints that her death would give him “all the money [he] need[s]”) and fellow custodian Harry Snow, who is tied to secrets involving custodial-budget documents. Harry is also the father of Brooke, a mean girl and homophobe.
When Colleen is found dead, Leo becomes determined to uncover who killed her. His binder of theories grows as revelations about Colleen, her son, Noah, and a possible conspiracy come to light. Along the way, Leo confronts bullies, misgendering, and fear of renewed harassment while trying to build community with the help of his friends and supportive literature teacher, Mr. Harms.
The novel’s prose is earnest but can feel clunky as the authors drop in expositional chunks rather than blending them into Leo’s narration. But when the writing centers on Leo’s vulnerability, the novel has real emotional pull—especially when his identity issues shape his fears, or when he laments his grandfather’s unsympathetic response to his transition (“Now I could hardly stand to be around him. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t able to accept me for who I am”).
Leo’s arc is familiar, but readers seeking queer perspectives will appreciate the elements of teen detective work, found family, and facing down bigotry.
A heartfelt mystery driven by a queer and compelling teen sleuth.”
-KIRKUS REVIEWS: LEO, DETECTIVE L. Ryan Hanafee and Susan Hanafee ISBN: 979-8-9955705-0-9. Publication date: September 1, 2026
