Back before dark : a Code of silence novel

Format:

Book

Title:

Back before dark : a Code of silence novel

Author:

Shoemaker, Tim.

ISBN:

9780310734994

Publication:

Grand Rapids, Mich. : Zondervan, [2013]

Physical Description:

361 pages ; 22 cm.

Series title(s):

Code of silence novel.

Summary:

When Gordy is abducted in the park, his cousin Cooper will do anything to rescue him and although Hiro and Lunk fear that Cooper will get himself in trouble, too, they join the race against the clock to save their friend. Includes author's notes about friendship, discussion questions, and tips for avoiding abduction.

Subject(s):

Kidnapping -- Juvenile fiction.

Best friends -- Juvenile fiction.

Friendship -- Juvenile fiction.

Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction.

Christian life -- Juvenile fiction.

Detective and mystery stories.

Kidnapping -- Fiction.

Best friends -- Fiction.

Friendship -- Fiction.

Conduct of life -- Fiction.

Christian life -- Fiction.

Mystery and detective stories.

Genre:

Detective and mystery stories.

Mystery and detective stories.

Detective and mystery fiction.

Fiction.

Juvenile works.

Religious fiction.

Detective and mystery fiction -- Juvenile fiction.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Monmouth Public Library	J Fic Shoemaker, T. 2013	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Newberg Public Library	TEEN SHOEMAKER	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Praise for Code of Silence:

"Deliberate, plausible, and gritty whodunit." -Booklist Starred Review

Taken!

A detour through the park leads Cooper, Gordy, Hiro, and Lunk straight into a trap, and Gordy is abducted!

For the kidnapper, it's all a game, a way to settle an old score, with no one getting hurt. But evil has a way of escalating, and once his identity is discovered, the rules change.

Despite the best of police efforts, the hours tick by without a clue or a ransom call, leaving everyone to their own fears. Gordy is gone. Cooper descends deeper into a living nightmare, imagining the worst for his best friend and cousin. Hours stretch into days, and talks of a memorial service begin to surface. But Cooper still feels his cousin is alive and develops a reckless plan, changing all the rules. Now the one who set out to rescue his friend needs to be rescued himself. Sometimes rescuing a friend from darkness means going in after them.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 7-10-A group of four friends-Cooper, Gordy, Hiro, and Lunk-is quickly reduced to three when Gordy is kidnapped from a park, even as Cooper and Hiro attempt to save him. Cooper is consumed with guilt over his inability to catch up with the kidnapper's van and the boys take the rescue efforts into their own hands. Feeling that the police are not exploring the most obvious options, Cooper starts investigating local sex offenders whom Hiro located in public records. Lunk supports Cooper's plans, including those that break the law. Equally devoted but more cautious, Hiro challenges Cooper's ideas in an effort to save him from dangerous behavior. Cooper wavers between anger and sadness while holding out hope that Gordy is still alive, despite the town's plans to hold a memorial service for him. The story reaches a climax when Cooper hatches a secret rescue plan that could get him killed. Though references to Code of Silence (Zondervan, 2012) are made, readers do not need knowledge of it to enjoy this nail-biting mystery. The plot is interesting though too drawn out to recommend to reluctant readers. The characters are believable; the dialogue rings true; and the messages about safety, family, and friendship are relevant without being heavy-handed.-Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

In the second Code of Silence novel (and sequel to Code of Silence), Shoemaker offers another tale of mystery, suspense, and the peril that can accompany loyalty. Friends Cooper, Gordy, Hiro, and Lunk think they are doing the right thing when they try to help someone near the park. But the good deed results in Gordy's being abducted. When the police are stymied by the crime, Cooper and the other kids do their own investigating, and Cooper's powerful motivation to save his cousin Gordy leads him into a terrifying predicament. The author largely succeeds at building tension and creating truly harrowing situations, though several repetitive scenes and an abundance of descriptive detail add some extraneous bulk and occasionally slow the pace of the central plot line. Readers may guess the kidnapper's identity (aided by some foreshadowing) but they will still be on the edge of their seats anticipating the fate of Cooper and Gordy right till the book's end. Shoemaker gives the proceedings a moral grounding as characters pray, question why God lets bad things happen, and ponder the true meaning of friendship. An author's note and questions for discussion also focus on these themes. Ages 8-12. Agent: Terry Burns, Hartline Literary Agency. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Horn Book Review

In this sequel to Code of Silence, Gordy is kidnapped and his friends Hiro, Cooper, and Lunk decide to take his rescue into their own hands. While the suspense is vitiated by an excess of description and a slow pace, Shoemaker raises interesting questions about law and morality as the friends find themselves resorting to dubious means to catch the criminal. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

The trap that begins this strong follow-up to the excellent Code of Silence (2012) is sickeningly smart. Friends Cooper, Hiro, and Lunk watch in shock as their pal Gordy hails a van to tell the driver that there's a backpack on the roof. But it is a lure; the side door slides open, Gordy is tazed, and the van vanishes with him. The authorities are clueless, so the guilt-ridden friends start taking their own investigative steps, each riskier than the last. Shoemaker's third-person voice gives us the perspective from each kid, including Gordy, who is chained in a pitch-black, slowly flooding basement. We also get glimpses of the kidnapper, who views the whole thing as a game, before it spirals out of control. As with the first book, multiple characters' prayers feel awkwardly inserted, and there is a certain amount of repetition spread across the perhaps too many chapters. Still, Shoemaker's characters and plot possess a believability rare for YA mysteries. And the climax? You will not have any fingernails left by the final page.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist