During the worst week of her life, Raleigh Harmon discovers her destiny. Her best friend is a smart-mouthed genius girl named Drew Levinson. But Drew is gone. Nowhere to be found. Everybody insists Drew ran away. But Raleigh suspects something worse. Armed with one rock hammer, an encyclopedic knowledge of city criminal codes, and a stubborn streak wide as the Chesapeake Bay, Raleigh searches for clues. Did Drew secretly meet somebody? - Did her loony parents finally push her over the edge? - Or is Raleigh’s hunch dead-on: Drew didn’t choose to leave…. The first book in the best-selling Raleigh Harmon prequel mystery series, Stone and Spark introduces the girl who will grow up to become a forensic geologist and FBI agent—provided she survives her high school years. Praise for the Raleigh Harmon mystery series “Giorello has won the Christy Award and has received two Pulitzer Prize nominations. When you read this book, you’ll see why.” — Booklist, Starred Review “Read her for her wonderfully descriptive prose, her killer plots or her well-drawn characters, but read her. You’ll come away enriched in deep and plentiful ways.”— The Richmond Times-Dispatch Fifteen-year-old Raleigh Harmon finally conquers her worst fear—by trespassing—and can't wait to tell her best friend, a smart-mouthed physics genius girl named Drew Levinson.  Only Drew’s gone. Really gone.  Everybody says Drew ran away. But that only skyrockets Raleigh’s suspicions. Drew Levinson is the least impulsive person she knows. Armed with her rock hammer, an encyclopedic knowledge of city criminal codes, and a stubborn streak wide as the Chesapeake Bay, Raleigh scours her hometown for clues. But not even the cops are on her side. 
 Was Drew meeting somebody in secret? Escaping her loony parents?  Or is Raleigh’s hunch dead-on: her best friend didn’t choose to leave. "Stone and Spark" is the first book in the Raleigh Harmon mystery prequel series introducing the girl who will become a forensic geologist and FBI agent—provided she survives her high school years. Fantastic prequel series to the adult Raleigh Harmon MysteriesBy iiiireader HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWER on August 15, 2014Format: Kindle Edition Verified PurchaseI have read all of the adult Raleigh Harmon mysteries and loved each one. I approached the first Young Adult book in the series (it is a prequel series to the other books) with some trepidation. I was afraid the character might become a bit too young and perhaps silly for for taste. My fears were for naught. This is a fantastic book in the same theme of the adult books. I could not put the book down. The story line and the ending made complete sense and I wasn't able to solve it until Raleigh did but once she did, my thought was "of course" this is how it should be. I look forward to both the second in this YA series and the promised sequel in the adult series. Ms. Giorello is one of my favorite authors and her character, Raleigh Harmon, is one of my favorite sleuths. Something's wrong. Raleigh Harmon finally conquers her worst fear--by trespassing--and wants to tell her best friend, a smart-mouthed physics genius girl named Drew Levinson. Only Drew's gone. Really gone. Everyone says Drew ran away. But that only skyrockets Raleigh's suspicions. Drew Levinson is the least impulsive person she knows. Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of city criminal codes, her rock hammer, and a stubborn streak wide as the Chesapeake Bay, Raleigh scours her hometown for clues. But not even the cops are on her side. Was Drew meeting somebody in secret? - Escaping her loony parents? - Or is Raleigh's hunch dead-on: her best friend didn't choose to leave . . . . Stone and Spark is the first book in the long-running Raleigh Harmon mystery series. It introduces the girl who will become a forensic geologist and FBI agent--provided she survives her high school years.