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Lulu Dark and the Summer of the Fox | Bennett Madison

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Our story picks up not that long after Lulu’s first adventures into girl detectivism, which I haven’t read, at the beginning of summer, which Lulu is really hoping will be just plain fun. It doesn’t take very long for her wishes to prove futile.

While out with best pal Daisy, they stumble upon some surprising, and not quite welcome, news in their favorite gossip column. Lulu’s mother is in town shooting a movie. Their relationship, as you may have guessed, is strained at best. Lulu’s parents got divorced when she was young, as her dad, it so happened, was gay. Lulu now lives with he and his partner, Theo. Her mother left Halo City and was essentially never heard from again. So naturally heads right off for the shoot to find out why Isabelle hadn’t told her she was in town. Which meant she was standing up her best friend turned boyfriend, Charlie.

After gaining access to the set, then finding her way to her mother’s trailer with the help of none other than the famous Lisa Lincoln, Lulu concludes that Isabelle seems a little off. But she still invites her for pastries later that night, half expecting her not show. If only that made it easier when she really didn’t.

The expected turns mystery rather quickly, however, when Isabelle’s agent tells her Isabelle is on vacation and Lisa Lincoln shows up at her apartment to tell her her mother is, in fact, missing. Lulu is sure there’s something amiss, after checking out Isabelle’s now vacant room, and seeing the two imposter maids who arrive while she and Lisa are inside, but her mind takes a different turn from most. Lulu is sure her mother is the bad guy.

The police aren’t interested, seeing as there’s that whole “vacation” deal. But after Isabelle shows her face on national television during the Halo Awards, where she and group of blondes in masks accost Lisa Lincoln as she’s about to give an acceptance speech, they get interested. I should also note, Lisa Lincoln was on national tv with Lulu’s boyfriend, and she doesn’t know how to take that one at all.

Lulu’s next order of business after this ordeal is to talk to Lisa. She thinks she might know something about Isabelle that the rest of them don’t and can’t figure out. Lisa’s bodyguard has different ideas, which leads to Lulu taking a tumble and Daisy pulling out the Icelandic Kickboxing. And Charlie opening the door to see what’s going on. For Lulu, this is going exactly how she wouldn’t want it. But she does get some information.

She also gets a frantic call from her mother, as they’re leaving, about a kidnapping. Realizing the same horn she heard over the phone is now coming closer, she hops onto her borrowed Vespa, Daisy in town, and takes off after the SUV that comes speeding around the corner. Sadly, she doesn’t actually know how to drive a Vespa, and their pursuit ends with a crash in the park.

And the fun doesn’t end there. Lulu has a few more fiery hoops to jump through before all is said and done.

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