Last summer I read and reviewed the first Lulu Dark novel, Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls, for Eclectica. It was part of a larger article on girl detective books and I was pretty frustrated at how difficult of a time I was having finding modern Nancy Drews. (Or at least modern Nancy Drews that didn't make me want to retch.) Lulu was a breath of fresh air in that search and I was delighted to find her. In her first adventure she seemed a bit like a young Paris Hilton (at least the Hilton attitude but not the Hilton dollars) and I thought I was in for a frivolous mystery but it became a huge and dangerous mystery by the end. Part of what made the book enjoyable was that everyone in Lulu's life thought she was making a big deal out of nothing (just like I thought) until it became clear that all was certainly not what it seemed. That's when author Bennett Madison pushed the story into high gear and Lulu kicked total butt.

That's also when I fell madly in love with her.

Bennett sent me an email a couple of months ago to let me know that he had a sequel due out this Spring and asked if I'd like to review it. Of course I said yes, and an ARC for Lulu Dark and the Summer of the Fox showed up last month. I'm almost finished reading it, and as good as the first book was, this one is that much better. Lulu seems more comfortable in her own skin - quirkier and wittier and somehow even funnier. Her best friend Daisy is an out and out riot and the rest of the crew (Charlie, Dad, Theo, Helena) are all equal parts smart, sassy and conflicted. The plot is great - Lulu's mother might be in a cult, running a cult or kidnapped by a cult, and there is a chase scene involving a pink Vespa.

Please, a pink Vespa! How do you not love that?!

I don't have all the answers to this latest mystery yet, but I'm enjoying the hell out of every page. Madison writes funny books, but more importantly, he writes fun books with a lot of snappy dialog and some very clever plots. Lulu is a determined girl detective with personal issues galore - but she also takes time to put together outfits and attitude that are wonderful to read about. I'll be reviewing the new Lulu book in my Bookslut column in May - but I can already tell you that it's a winner. I can't wait to see what Bennett has in the works for his heroine (and her friends) next.