Running Girl

Story

Garvie Smith may have a high IQ but he has no interest in proving it at school. He’d much rather hang with his mates. Then his ex-girlfriend’s body is pulled from a pond and everything changes. Now Garvie can think of nothing but solving the crime. Much to the annoyance of DI Singh who is always two steps behind and desperate to prove himself.

Why we chose it

A young adult murder mystery, fast paced and full of twist and turns, introducing teenage detective Garvie Smith.

Where it came from

The idea of a crime novel appeared while Simon Mason was out running in the rain. He made conscious choices to keep the reader guessing as to what Garvie was thinking throughout the book, just like another great detective, Sherlock Holmes. The author believes the characters have much in common. He also notes a similarity to Hercule Poirot whose empathy towards his victims is great for uncovering clues. But mostly, Garvie was based on a real person, who had a ‘powerful brain and marked disinclination to do anything with it’ at school. Just like Garvie, the author refuses to tell us who…

Where it went next

The book was the first of a four-part series based around the character of Garvie Smith.

Associated stories

The Garvie Smith Mystery Series includes: Kid Got Shot (2016), Kid Alone (2017), and Hey Sherlock! (2019). Simon Mason is also known for his children’s book series The Quigleys (2002), based around a dysfunctional family, and Moon Pie (2011) which was shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.