The June Boys

Every year the Gemini Thief kidnaps three new boys, keeps them captive for a year, and then releases them without ever revealing his/her identity.  This has been going on for nearly a decade, and the thief has successfully kidnapped twelve boys.

Thea believes the thief took a thirteenth boy, her cousin Aulus.  She knows Aulus's disappearance doesn't really fit the patter since he's not one of the original three, but she can't shake the feeling the Gemini Thief has him.  Together with her boyfriend Nick (who is also one of Aulus's close friends) and her two best childhood friends, she's been investigating his disappearance for a year.  

The annual return date is coming up soon, and Thea hopes she will see Aulus soon, but the game changes when one of the missing boys is found dead.  What happened to change the kidnapper's process?  Will the other boys be returned alive, or are they already dead, too?  

Thea is more determined than ever to uncover the identity of the kidnapper and save the other boys, but the more she investigates, the more she starts to see a painful possibility.  She doesn't want to believe it's possible, and it would tear her world apart, but what if her father is the Gemini Thief?

The new mystery thriller from Court Stevens is a page-turner!  I was hooked from the beginning, and this one kept me guessing until the end.  I loved the "podcast" epilogue and its message about faith and adversity.  The book alternates between Thea's perspective and the June boys, but this doesn't ease the tension since the boys are in a life and death struggle, and the kidnapper's identity isn't revealed until the end.  This one is perfect for April Henry fans.  Highly recommended for grades 7 and up!