THE FIXER, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The story: Tess never knew what her sister Ivy did for a living until she ran headlong into it: kids at her new school, fancy Hardwicke Academy in DC, expect Tess to "fix" things--that is, make their problems go away, just like Ivy does for people in the government...even the president. When a classmate's grandfather dies suddenly, Tess comes face to face with the discovery that he was murdered. So--how do you "fix" that? It's harder than she ever imagined, and dangerous enough that it could cost her life.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Magic & the occult G; Substance abuse PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (advanced political wrangling; murder, suicide) PG-13; overall rating PG-13. (However, there's so much of a political nature in this story that it's probably better suited for high school readers--younger kids will feel like someone's trying to pull a civics lesson over on them.)

Liz's comments: Anyone who like Ally Carter's books will want to give this one a look. Not only was it an interesting mystery, but the dynamic between the two sisters kept evolving along with the rest of the story--which makes the inevitable sequel something to look forward to!