A Million Ways Home by Dianna Dorisi Winget

Poppy's grandmother, and guardian, is recovering from a stroke, so Poppy sneaks away from the juvenile center to visit. She gets lost and stops at a convenience store. A few minutes later, the kind store clerk is shot and killed during a robbery, and Poppy is the only person who can identify the murderer. The detective allows her to stay with his mother for protection, because the killer may be looking for her. Poppy has a hard time dealing with her problems, as her grandmother's condition only worsens. With the help of a new friend and a German Shepherd scheduled to be put to sleep, Poppy starts to have more good days than bad. However, the emotions of her parents' deaths, her grandmother's strokes, and the danger of the gunman start to gang up on her. A couple of bad decisions may end up blindsiding her.

The author did a wonderful job of capturing Poppy's feelings and frustrations. All she wanted to do was take care of her grandmother, and she still blamed her parents for getting killed and not being around to care for her. It was heart-warming to see the changes in Lizzie's character as she learned to support Poppy. The detective and his mother displayed great kindness, but the murderer on the loose kept constant danger a part of the plot.