Review to come! Very enjoyable! ( )

Melancoly Mona Lisa searches for a murderer, while being helped along by the strategic use of Native American traditions in this tale of a young musician's unlikely choices between music, love and truth. Like her quest to find truth, the story wanders about, making it hard to follow what is happening in this mismash of characters and places. ( )

Mona Lisa LaPierre's parents are on a research trip, forcing the seventeen-year-old to spend a month with her grandfather, Grumps. Mona Lisa would much rather play blues on her beloved guitar, Rosalita, than spend time in a remote cabin with the gruff man she barely knows. Soon, however, she learns to like him and her surroundings as she gains new appreciation for her Mohegan and Abenaki heritage. She also enjoys meeting Del, a fellow musician whose family may have ties to Mona Lisa's hometown and an unsolved mystery there.

Mona Lisa is a likable main character and most of the supporting characters are well-drawn. I would have liked much more about Grumps and Mona Lisa's Native American heritage and much less (or none) of the love triangle. There was a lot going on, particularly toward the end, making the story's pacing feel a bit uneven, but overall it was an enjoyable book. Wabanaki Blues is the first part of a planned trilogy and I look forward to reading more about Mona Lisa LaPierre.

Note: this review is based on an ARC received from the publisher ( )