Very much in the style of the Nancy Drew Files, this is a classic 80s-era teen detective novel. High school junior and amateur sleuth Diana Winthrop is called on to help find out who's sabotaging her father's film, which is being shot on location in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Suspects range from the aging movie star to the superstitious puertorriquena costume designer to an actor's jealous lover to a Puerto Rican independence activist.

The book gets a lot of the location right -- as a more recent resident of Old San Juan, it was a pleasure to see the mystery play out against the backdrop of recognizable locations. The only jarring note was the stretch limo ride from the airport to El Morro -- I can't imagine a limo making it through the narrow cobblestoned streets without hitting at least a dozen parked cars!

In sum: Fun, quick detective story with a young, independent female heroine in a great setting. ( )