Framed! Luke Harding Forensic Investigator (Traces) Paperback – April 14, 2005

We got the rest of the set at a library sale. So we had to get this one before we could start reading. We really liked this book and we're enjoying the others, too. My son is 11 years old and he really likes it. He's always stopping the story to tell me who he thinks "dun it," based on clues given in the text. But the stories are well done enough that it's pretty hard to tell what's going to happen before the end.

I'm not a fan of mystery booksIn fact, this is the first mystery book that I have actually enjoyed.

Set in a quasi-dystopic future--in which children are removed from their parents at the age of five to begin their schooling and come under the aegis of the shadowy 'Authorities'; where marriages (called "Pairings") are arranged on the basis of genetics and aptitude groupings (a scientist to a scientist, an artist to an artist, etc.); where race is turned upside down and white people are considered freaks and abominations because everyone is brown--Framed!, the first book in a series, is a thought-provoking look at a potential future of the human race. Set in England and focusing on the life of Luke Harding, a savant in the field of forensics and, at 16, the youngest certified Forensic Investigator, his trusty robotic aide MALC, a Mobile Aid to Law and Crime, and Luke's girlfriend Jade, a talented musician and forbidden love, the book introduces us to Luke's world and his first crime, a murder. Newly qualified as an investigator, the murder seems routine until Luke discovers that all the clues point to him as the perpetrator. When more bodies show up, each one pointing to Luke, he's forced to use all his skills and those of MALC, to solve the crime and clear his name.Framed! manages to mix together teen angst and a murder mystery, all within a greater setting of a not-quite-ideal future. While the mystery isn't very complex and is more police-procedural than a typical "sleuthing" mystery, the book still deals with the human emotions and urges which motivate all crimes. Malcolm Rose also introduces the underlying tension of such a society, in which a person's life is ruled by a severe set of rules; Luke, though a part of that system, has a rebellious side which provokes him to question those rules and the system which governs them. The most frustrating, yet intelligent part of the book is the fact that we, the reader, don't know exactly when all this action is taking place. No specific year is given and no explanation is laid out for why things are the way they are: why London is now a semi-abandoned town full of bandits and the south of England is considered almost uninhabitable; why the north of England is the center of all learning and enlightenment. All the answers to those questions are left up to the reader to decide, which adds an almost "Choose Your Own Adventure" flavor to the story. I'll state the obvious here: I'm neither the sex nor the age group this book is aimed at, yet I enjoyed it all the same, and I don't feel ashamed about that.

I have to say this is one of my favorite books. Framed is a fictional story about a 16-year-old forensic investigator, the youngest in his time. This book combines the normal adventure storyline with forensic sparks. I personally enjoy the combination of the two fields. Malcolm's book will keep you guessing the whole time. He leads you along an exciting tale, not letting you know who did it until the very end.I ended up trying to skip classes to read this book. I hope he comes out with many more stories.I would recommend this book to any of you who love mysteries with some journey. If you like problems you should adore this book.

In a futuristic Britain, Luke Harding is the youngest Forensic Investigator ever. On the day he is certified, Luke is assigned to a case that is too close to home. A student at the school he attends is murdered with an arrow, and the only fingerprints on the arrow are Luke's! With his robotic sidekick, Malc, Luke is equipped with everything he needs to deal with a world where people are `paired', cats and dogs are all but extinct, and people with white skin are jeered and teased. Luke must prove himself innocent of the series of murders that all point to him.I enjoyed the book. Malcom Rose is clearly qualified to write the book, as he is a forensic teacher. The scientific facts are laced masterfully with an entertaining story. The only thing that the story lacks is character emotions. Though the development is fine, and we know exactly the disposition of each character, the feelings of the character leave a bit to be desired. All in all, the book is very good and certainly worth reading.Reviewed by a student reviewer for Flamingnet Book Reviews[...]Preteen, teen, and young adult book reviews and recommendations

TRACESBY: Luke HaydenA young boy stands alone in the middle of an archery range waiting for one person. He look's over to his left, then to his right. He hears a low whistle and then feels a sharp pain in his chest. He looks down and sees an arrow in his chest. He utters a low moan and then drops dead.When there's a mystery to solve the Authorities send in the best, Forensic investigator Luke Harding. Luke is sent in to investigate the death of one of the boys at his school. With Malc, Luke's Mobil aid to law and crime, he can check any crime scene for clues. With the Authorities breathing down his neck, Luke is running out of time. He needs to find out who did this and quick. But as Luke finds more and more about the killing he soon realizes that everything is not what it seems.The Traces series are awesome mystery books. I literally can't put it down. It had me guessing for a long time who killer is. I was totally absorbed in by this amazing plot twisting series. I'm now gleefully reading the next Traces book.