About the Book
Hi Lindsay! I believe I discovered your books on Twitter. When I saw the cover of It Found Us , I had to read it! As I was waiting for the release of the ARC, I read What Lives in the Woods (LOVED IT!). Can you give us a short summary of your newest spooky middle grade, It Found Us ?
Absolutely! IT FOUND US follows the story of aspiring podcaster and amateur sleuth, Hazel Woods. Hazel is a gifted young detective, but the adults in her life don’t see it that way. They use words like “snoop” and “pest” to describe her which is hurtful to Hazel. So, when the opportunity to solve a very big, very serious mystery falls into her lap – the vanishing of her older brother Den’s best friend, Everett Michaels – she takes it. Everett was last seen playing an after-dark game of hide-and-seek with Den and a group of friends in a local graveyard – a notoriously haunted graveyard. When terrifying clues begin to appear to Hazel, she realizes there might be more to finding Everett than scent tracking dogs and search parties . . . and time is ticking. Who would especially enjoy this book? Anyone who enjoys mysteries, forgotten history, or ghost stories is going to love this book! Same for those who read and appreciated Nancy Drew. Hazel is such a brave, courageous, and empathetic sleuth, and her relationship with her brother is layered and realistic.
About the Author
Did you enjoy scary books as a child? What were some of your favorites? I did, but there really weren’t as many as there should’ve been! One of the first ones I remember reading (and being wholeheartedly frightened of, haha) was called The Dollhouse Murders . I’ve talked about this book in other interviews because while there are elements of it that did not age well, the mystery did unfold in a fantastically tense way. I recall being simultaneously afraid to continue reading, but too hooked to stop. The perfect blend!
What books and movies have influenced your books?
Oh, so many! I’ll admit that I’m a fan of leaving what I call Easter eggs in my stories – little homages to movies or books I love. IT FOUND US opens with Hazel sneaking around her neighborhood to find out who is allowing their dog to poop on cranky Mr. Andrew’s lawn. This is a small nod to the movie The Burbs, where we see two characters arguing over a dog that has been trained to relieve itself on other people’s lawns. I’m sure most of my readers won’t see that connection, but it made me smile
