ANDERSON, Natalie C. City of Saints & Thieves. 432p. ebook available. Putnam. Jan. 2017. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780399547584.

Gr 7-10 –Tina has been developing her plan for revenge against her mother’s killer for five years, and it’s finally time to set it in motion. But things don’t go quite as planned when she breaks into Roland Greyhill’s palatial estate in the hills above bustling Sangui City, Kenya. Greyhill’s son, Michael, who was Tina’s best friend when her mother worked as a maid in the house, catches her downloading information from his father’s computer. His condition for not turning her in? Teaming up with him to prove that his father is innocent of murder. Tina staunchly believes in Roland’s guilt—he and her mother had been having an affair, and her mother’s body had been found in Roland’s private study. But Tina feels she has no choice but to play along. Their investigation involves members of the local gang Tina joined after her mother’s death, smugglers, oil company executives, and a dissolute journalist, and it takes Tina, Michael, and her friend Boyboy into the remote area of Congo where Tina was born as they try to learn whether something in her mother’s past led to her death. Themes of war-time horrors, post-traumatic stress disorder, economic disparity, and colonialism are seamlessly woven into a solidly plotted, swiftly paced international murder mystery that’s laced with just a hint of romance. VERDICT Highly recommended for teens looking for a gritty, suspenseful, immersive read driven by a tough, smart, realistic heroine.–Stephanie ­Klose, School Library Journal

This review was published in the School Library Journal January 2017 issue.