Kill the music by Nansi Kunze

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Random House Australia, 2013. ISBN 9780857980151. Paperback, 288 pages.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Mystery. Bands. Music. Lorna Powell seems to have the perfect life, travelling the world with a famous boy band led by her brother. However it is not easy to live with four annoying young men who are followed avidly by fans and who also unrelentingly tease her. She is looking forward to leading a normal life in their new home and starting at a normal high school. However life at school isn't easy when you are dropped off in a huge stretch limousine and everyone is eager to learn about the boys in the band. When she overhears a conversation that outlines a plot to silence the band forever, Lorna goes undercover and with the help of the police is drawn into a dangerous attempt to find out who is trying the kill the band members.
Readers will be immediately immersed in the world that surrounds a mega popular boy band. However Kunze doesn't try to glamorise what happens on tours, the personalities of the boys, their flaws and musical strengths all provide a really interesting background to the mystery that Lorna is trying to solve. Of course it is a great reading experience to travel to Austria for a concert and the making of a wonderful video in the grounds of a grand palace as well as follow a birthday party on an island.
Lorna tells the story and the reader will follow with interest the mystery while trying to work out just who would want to kill the boys. Lorna also has problems working out her feelings for the gorgeous Marius, one of the band members, and the sparks between the two will satisfy romance lovers. There is a lot of tension as red herrings are introduced and the conclusion is a satisfying one.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story that is sure to appeal to teen readers who will love the music background as well as the mystery surrounding the threats to the boys.
Pat Pledger

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