The Trouble with Max

The first book in the Max and Me Mysteries series, The Trouble With Max was written by Patricia H. Rushford, a registered nurse with a Masters degree in counseling.

When Jessie Miller finds an unexpected best friend in newcomer Max Hunter, the two become a pair of unlikely heroes. Jessie is small, skinny and bald, thanks to an ongoing battle with leukemia. Max is loud, confident and more unpredictable than this small, lakeside community is accustomed to. When the girls stumble over a possible drug deal, a string of trouble attaches to their heels.

Before long Jessie discovers that Max’s aunt and uncle are abusing her and that they moved here after a previous run-in with child protective services. The friendship, Max's safety and Jessie's health are all put to the test as the two girls attempt to solve separate mysteries. Believing it will keep her out of foster care, Max wants to cut off the drug supply that feeds her aunt and uncle’s habits, but Jessie wants to find a way to get Max away from her aunt and uncle without losing her only friend.

What I Like: This was a great read! I really enjoyed it. I like that it features uncommon characters. Not everyone wants to read about the beautiful, talented cheerleader all the time. The author depicts the characters' struggles and triumphs with believable details which had my emotions run the gamut between heartbroken, joyful and anxious with suspense.

What I Dislike: Nothing, really. A few strings were left loose, but I'm okay with that. I trust the author handles them in the subsequent books of this series.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 9-12

Publisher Info: Moody Publishers, 2007; ISBN: 0802462537; Paperback; 140 pages; $6.99

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Special Info: You can read the first chapter of this book online. There you can also learn more about the author and her other books, including two more in this series: Danger at Lakeside Farm and The Secret of Ghost Island.