Character Profile
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Summary

Contemporary suspense about three kids who witness a murder accidentally and the choices they make afterward.
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Stats

Genre: Teen (13-16 years) contemporary suspense

Series length: Three books

Violence: Moderate violence, including murder and kidnapping

Magic/Supernatural: None

Romance: Minimal 

Christian/spiritual element: Overt Christian elements

Recommendation: More geared to boys than girls, though either may enjoy the books

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Opening Lines:

Cooper's leering opponent inched closer, fists raised and ready to strike. 

"He's moving in for the kill, Coop," Gordy said.

Cooper didn't budge. C'mon, you big moron. He tapped the joystick. ​One more step.

Code of Silence (Code of Silence, Book 1)
by Tim Shoemaker

Telling the Truth Could Get Them Killed.
Remaining Silent Could Be Worse.

When Cooper, Hiro, and Gordy witness a robbery that leaves a man in a coma, they find themselves tangled in a web of mystery and deceit that threatens their lives. After being seen by the criminals—who may also be cops—Cooper makes everyone promise never to reveal what they have seen. Telling the truth could kill them. But remaining silent means an innocent man takes the fall, and a friend never receives justice.

Is there ever a time to lie? And what happens when the truth is dangerous?

​The three friends, trapped in a code of silence, must face the consequences of choosing right or wrong when both options have their price.

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Opening Lines:

Cooper couldn't get home late. Not this time. Even at fourteen he wasn't too old to get grounded--a little fact he'd been reminded of before he went out with his friends. His legs felt like concrete, but he kept pedaling.

His cousin Gordy didn't act at all tired riding next to him. Gordy raised his chin and seemed to be enjoying the wind blowing his nearly white blonde hair back around the edges of his helmet. Cooper, on the other hand, could feel the sweat looking for an escape route through his maze of curls. 

Back Before Dark (Code of Silence, Book 2)
by Tim Shoemaker

Taken!

A detour through the park leads Cooper, Gordy, Hiro, and Lunk straight into a trap, and Gordy is abducted!

For the kidnapper, it’s all a game, a way to settle an old score, with no one getting hurt. But evil has a way of escalating, and once his identity is discovered, the rules change.

​Despite the best of police efforts, the hours tick by without a clue or a ransom call, leaving everyone to their own fears. Gordy is gone. Cooper descends deeper into a living nightmare, imagining the worst for his best friend and cousin. Hours stretch into days, and talks of a memorial service begin to surface. But Cooper still feels his cousin is alive and develops a reckless plan, changing all the rules. Now the one who set out to rescue his friend needs to be rescued himself. Sometimes rescuing a friend from darkness means going in after them.

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Opening Lines:

Vacations were all about having fun--or running from something not so fun. Cooper needed this vacation to be about both. The fact that he was starting high school in a matter of days wasn't what gnawed at him. Not really. It was something way deeper. Buried. And he intended to keep it there.

The more he packed his days with fun, the more effective his escape would be.

Below the Surface (Code of Silence, Book 3)
by Tim Shoemaker

Something is wrong with Cooper. He’s plagued by a fear he doesn’t understand and can’t control. Cooper just wants to escape, and a summer vacation aboard the restored cabin cruiser, The Getaway, with best friends Gordy, Hiro, and Lunk seems like the perfect way to do it. Two weeks of fun—with no mysteries or life-and-death danger. That’s the plan.
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But their plans are shattered the very first night when they witness a murder. Or did they? Despite their intentions of leaving the investigation to the police, narrow misses and creepy encounters lure them in. Is there really a body floating in the underwater currents of the lake? The closer they get to the truth, the deeper into danger they get. Too late they see the trap. Now each of them must face their own buried fears . . . just below the surface.