“Murder in the lab! The famous forensic scientist Dr. Ramachandran is stone-cold dead, and Ruby Rose’s father is the prime suspect. It’s one more reason for Ruby to hate the Gardens, the funky urban neighborhood to which she has been transplanted. Wise but shy, artistic but an outsider, Ruby must marshal everything and everyone she can to help solve the mystery and prove her father didn’t poison his boss. Everyone? The list isn’t too long: there’s T. Rex, Ruby’s big, goofy but goodhearted friend; maybe those other two weird kids from class; and that mysterious old lady in the apartment upstairs, who seems to know a lot about chemistry . . . which could come in very handy.” ~ Goodreads description

Title: Poison Most Vial

Author: Benedict Carey

Publisher ABRAMS

Imprint: Amulet Books

Publishing Date: April 1^st, 2012

ISBN: 1419700316

Page Count: 240

I received this title courtesy of NetGalley

Ruby Rose needs to do some detective work of her own to prove that her father didn’t murder the famous Dr. Ramachandran. She’s going to need help. But from who? From her friend, T. Rex? From the mysterious “Window Lady”? From the girl who is said to have hacked into the school computer? From the boy who has the map of the catacombs beneath the library? From Bernie Diaz, the lawyer who seems to support Ruby’s sleuthing?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

Poison Most Vial is a fun mystery with adventure, humor, and science. This book starts off with the statement to the court from Mrs. Whitmore (the “Window Lady”) in script form, which draws the reader in. From there, we meet Ruby, who’s still adjusting to her new home. We get to watch the drama unfold and we get to see Ruby slowly begin to work well with her new team she assembles (speaking of which, can I just say how happy I am that there’s girl hacker?). Ruby makes an excellent detective, taking notes from the meeting with the lawyer (Ruby used the excuse that she was drawing) and searching for evidence among the items of the late doctor’s suspicious grad students. And, of course, there’s those vials of poisons to figure out.

Some of the dialogue is downright hilarious and the scenes are well written. The tension and discovery as Ruby and her friends venture into the catacombs seems real, the characters are unique, and the plot is well-crafted.

For a fun read, pick up Poison Most Vial today!

3 out of 5 teacups