I really like these. ( )

http://cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/weblog/algae-2010-03.html#sweeney ( )

I found this to be one of the best books of a good series.I like Abby, her boyfriend Jeff, and her sister Kate. I "know" them from previous books, and the fact Kate and Jeff were both acting out of character was part of what made this book interesting.In this book, we were introduced to Emma, a strong young woman raising her younger siblings. She was a good, solid character that I enjoyed getting to know. We also had a variety of entertaining secondary characters that made me laugh (or wince) while moving the plot along.I cared about the mystery in this book, and about the process of finding the answers. Strangely, the details of who-dun-it didn't really worry me that much.I did have some quibbles with the book-- although I enjoyed seeing Kate and Jeff outside their usual selves, I think Kate was a little too far out of character. I found some of the plot developments predictable. But overall, I enjoyed the book.The big question for me with book 4 of any series is whether it makes sense to start here, or should a new reader start at the beginning.This book stands on its own plot-wise, but you'll miss out on some interesting character development. If you think there is a chance you'll want to read all of the books, I'd suggest starting at book 1. 2 is the weakest of the series, followed by 3. I still enjoyed both. Read them for the character development if they sound interesting, skip them if they don't. ( )