Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter

It’s 1920s Chicago—the guns-and-gangster era of Al Capone—and it’s unusual for a girl to be selling the Tribune on the street corner. But ten-year-old Isabel Feeney is unusual . . . unusually obsessed with being a news reporter. She can’t believe her luck when she stumbles into a real-life murder scene and her hero, the famous journalist Maude Collier. The story of how Isabel fights to defend the honor of her accused friend and latches on to the murder case makes for a winning middle grade mystery. |

"Fantaskey does an excellent job of conveying the flavor of the time period, drawing attention to the public’s fascination with murderers, bootleggers, and gangsters...Isabel's innocence and intelligence combine to form a complex character full of moxie." —Booklist STARRED Review   "Fantaskey offers a dark but exciting picture of one of Chicago’s most infamous decades..." —Bulletin   "It’s a story chockfull of colorful historical information with a heroine who is impetuous, flawed, and very easy to root for." —Publishers Weekly   "A not-to-be-missed novel for middle graders looking for a satisfying mystery with a daring female heroine." —School Library Journal   "Fast-moving, short chapters are narrated by the sassy Isabel, whose speech ("Jeez, what kind of bee was in his bonnet?") captures the flavor of the era." —Kirkus   “Izzie is an endearing latchkey kid: blunt, unwittingly funny and doggedly determined. Readers will cheer her on as she fights for the truth and for her newfound friends.” —Shelf Awareness