Keeper Chance and the Conundrum of Chaos [Evil Villains International League]
by Alex Evanovich
Middle School, High School    Simon    336 pp.
10/24    9781665960045    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781665960069    $10.99

“The man known as Chaos had entered Peachmont High School through a back door,” looking to recruit sixteen-year-old junior Keeper Chance for the Evil Villains International League, or E.V.I.L. Chaos has followed Keeper for a long time and is impressed at how purposely and consistently mediocre he has been in school—but he also suspects that Keeper is a genius with a useful skill to contribute to the organization. Joining the group appeals to the teen, as his current life at home with his cruel “hobgoblin” of a grandmother is untenable. While preparing for their initiation ceremony, Keeper and his new friend, Toby, get mixed up with a mystery involving the whole organization. People go missing, including several members of E.V.I.L.; a beautiful girl with stealth moves is tracking Keeper; and her father is stalking him, too, for his own questionable purposes. Evanovich adeptly paces the novel, weaving several threads into a web of evil but leavening the tale of dastardly mischief with humor and a bit of romance. There’s plenty of action as the protagonist uses his skill (even if no one, including himself, seems to know what it is) to help solve the crime and ensure his initiation. The story will delight readers even as they must await the sequel.

From the ">January/February 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.