title: Holy Smoke: A Bones and the Duchess Mystery
author:  Alexandra Eden 
description: Gr. 5-7. An ex-cop and a 12-year-old girl solving crimes? Odd, yes, but that's exactly what Bones Fatzinger and Verity Buscador do--even though Bones hates to admit he needs help. When a local church is torched, the parson approaches him to find the culprit. Bones thinks there's a nice fee to be had and plenty to look into. Verity, on the other hand, doesn't think there's much to investigate; she insists she already knows who did the deed. As in <i>To Oz and Back</i> (2003), cranky Bones' narration gives this a more adult sensibility than most mysteries for kids, and although Eden does plant a selection of red herrings to sort through, there's not much drama in the story. Readers will, however, find out a bit about the autistic-like behavioral characteristics associated with Asperger's syndrome, with which Verity deals, and they aren't likely to miss the goodhearted, inspirational message about forgiveness that's the real point of the novel . REVWR<br /><i>Copyright  American Library Association. All rights reserved</i>
zlib_text: 
  
  
  ![cover](cover.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  Trinity Icon
  
  
    
  
  
  Niles Kovach
  
  
    
  
  
  Copyright 2015 Niles Kovach
  
  
    
  
  
  Smashwords Edition, License Notes
  
  
  Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book
  
  
  remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be
  
  
  redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes.
  
  
  If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download
  
  
  their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer.
  
  
  Thank you for your support.
  
  
    
  
  
  Cover design by Hadleigh O.
  
  
  Charles
  
  
  PROLOGUE
  
  
    
  
  
  Tsaritsa lingered in every
  
  
  breath. Sweet, aristocratic, it was Mara's favorite
  
  
  incense. She
  
  
  closed the church door behind her. Her left arm tingled, aching,
  
  
  warning her of death that day. She ignored
  
  
  it. She did
  
  
  not need that arm to cross herself as she kissed the icon of Saint
  
  
  Sergius. She
  
  
  would not need it for the dusting, or the polishing, or the
  
  
  sweeping. It
  
  
  was a little sore, that was all, and these old bones ha