It is the sinking – not the sailing – of the Titanic that intrigues most kids, and Julie Lawson knows it. An established historical fiction writer for young people, Lawson packs in plenty of Titanic trivia (and a healthy helping of corpses) in her new middle-grade mystery.

Kevin Messenger is understandably skeptical when his dad inherits a Halifax mansion from a dead stranger named Angus Seaton. When the Messengers visit the mysterious digs, Kevin dons his detective cap to determine how his family ended up in the stranger’s will. An unrelenting female ghost complicates things, keeping him up at night with all sorts of enigmatic moans and groans.

Meanwhile, a parallel narrative tells Angus Seaton’s story: he was 17 years old when he worked on the Mackay-Bennett, the first ship responsible for recovering bodies and personal effects after the Titanic sank. Many fictional portrayals of the Titanic describe life aboard the ship, but this post-disaster approach is fresh, original, and includes just the right amount of the macabre to intrigue young readers.

Unfortunately, this stellar set-up quickly fizzles. Kevin does not solve the mystery through a clever interpretation of clues, but rather through a bizarre trip back in time. After experiencing his own disaster at sea, Kevin falls into a brief coma wherein he finds himself aboard the Titanic. There, he stumbles upon the crucial missing piece in the puzzle while also experiencing the sinking first-hand. Readers of all ages would likely agree that coma-induced epiphanies are not the most satisfying way to resolve a mystery.

While the mystery doesn’t float, young Titanic buffs and neophytes alike will be entertained (and subtly educated) by the oft-ignored aftermath of the disaster.