Reviewed by Keith Mbuya for Readers' Favorite

High school senior Decker Savage was struggling to cope with life. Apart from grieving his deceased baby brother, he also had to face the reality of his parents’ separation. It all weighed heavily on him. When he witnesses a strange man upsetting his mother while at a dinner, he is curious to know who the man is. Decker secretly tails the man as he walks away into the night. However, he ends up walking into a crime. The strange man had broken into a house and assaulted an aging man. Determined to uncover the identity of the mystery man, Decker visits the victim in the hospital, launching an investigation. Soon, he finds himself treading a dangerous path that puts his courage to the test and the lives of his loved ones in danger. Discover how it all goes down in Nancy G. West’s Risky Pursuit.

Using sharp, character-driven conversations and a multi-perspective timeline, West introduced me to a conflicted and fascinating, dynamic cast. The overt depictions of the characters' emotions and the juxtaposition of their complex traits allowed me to connect with them. I was given a glimpse into the world of a teenager going through grief and family disintegration. Between baseball practice, handling a budding romance, trying to maintain a social life, and running an investigation, Decker illustrates how grief and divorce affect young people. I could understand when Decker felt overwhelmed by his friend’s boisterous family. He was just not used to it. There is suspense, love, secrets, deceit, betrayal, intergenerational friendship, and more in this book. Lovers of young adult mystery novels with a blend of thrills and adventure will find Nancy G. West’s Risky Pursuit an enthralling read.