Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco

teen mystery set in an elite public school in 1970s New York City.

When two faculty members of the prestigious Flatbush Technical High School are murdered, bright freshman Holly Hernández is immediately on the case, her amateur sleuthing skills honed by her love for crime novels and the example set by her homicide detective mother. Meanwhile, Xander Herrera is a socially awkward but equally astute student who finds himself regarded as the initial suspect; his determination to prove his innocence is nearly as great as his need to beat the insufferably perky Holly to the punch and solve the mystery first. What neither of them expects is to be embroiled in a lethal disco contest at the infamous Mission Venus nightclub in Manhattan. The novel alternates between Holly’s and Xander’s perspectives as the danger mounts and the two investigate the case in parallel. This fast-paced, skillfully developed murder mystery offers equal billing to both characters, their separate lives, and their individual problems while also examining gender inequality and social injustice and providing an interesting look at the history of disco as a safe place for queer people and people of color. Part of the novel’s charm is that Xander sees Holly as his nemesis while Holly is blissfully oblivious to the boy’s competitive feelings. Holly, Xander, and their families are Latinx.