THE CASE OF THE STOLEN SIXPENCE by Holly Webb

Maisie Hitchins longs to be a detective like the famous detective, Gilbert Carrington, who lives nearby. Before she knows it, Maisie has TWO cases to work on - the mystery of who tried to drown a puppy and the mystery of who is stealing money from the butcher.

This was excellent! Because Maisie's grandmother is a landlord, the people boarding with her bring interesting contributions to the story. The results of her investigations aren't quite with Maisie was expecting but they are satisfying anyway. The illustrations are cute and really add to the story. I am looking forward to adding this book to the school library. The next book in the series (pictured below) releases on March 3, 2015

5 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 4.8

THE BAKER STREET LETTERS by Michael Robertson

Reggie Heath works in the famous 221 B Baker St. - literary home of Sherlock Holmes. And one of the responsibilities under his lease is to have someone respond to the mail that comes to the address for the famous fictional detective. Reggie gives that job to his brother, Nigel, who's been through some personal trauma. What should be a simple task becomes immensely complicated when Nigel disappears to solve a mystery in one of the letters and dead bodies start to pile up in his wake. Reggie will have his hands full keeping both of them out of jail - and out of the morgue.

This was a decent mystery (I did see some of the solution coming) with a great premise and intriguing characters. The book was as much about the brothers and their lives and relationship as it was about the mystery. I've already shared this one with my husband and I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series! I'll have a review of book two next week. (Some language)

4 out of 5 stars

        

THE CASE OF THE TIME-CAPSULE BANDIT by Octavia Spencer

Randi's dad has moved them out of New York and to the middle of nowhere. He had no idea that Randi had become something of a neighborhood detective in New York, tracking down flower thieves and other area nuisances. Randi is ready to apply her detective skills to her new town's missing time capsule. If it's not found, the whole town could go bankrupt. Randi will have to work with two other sleuths to get to the bottom of the mystery and save her new community.

This was a good mystery. The ensemble of kids was likable. Yes, the "mean girl" character is a stereotype. But the main character is fantastic - fiesty, a black belt in tae kwon do, a martial arts aficionado, and daughter of a popular mystery writer. So far I have not seen any indication of a sequel.

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 4.6

GUIDEBOOK TO MURDER by Lynn Cahoon

Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books and More in South Cove, California, inherits a house and a load of problems when a dear friend dies suddenly. When the death turns out to be murder and Jill's best friend disappears, things get even more dicey. Then vandalism and death threats amp up the tension even more. A hunky police detective may not be enough to keep Jill safe with all the trouble heading her way.

This was excellent! Great characters and lots of plot points, but everything is easily followed. The plot never felt over-done or contrived - everything worked together. My only "criticism" is that there wasn't much of a "tourist trap" feel in this volume to make the series title make sense, but that may evolve as the series grows. This was a solid and satisfying mystery!

5 out of 5 stars

Book 2 will be Mission to Murder. Right now, only e-book versions are showing up at Barnes&Noble or Amazon online.

* I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher, Kensington, for free in the hope that I would review it honestly on my blog. Regardless, I only review books I enjoyed. I don’t believe in passing on negative reviews. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

KILLER PHYSIQUE by G. A. McKevett

Savannah, Dirk, Ryan and John attend a movie premiere to meet a friend of Ryan and John only to find him dead shortly thereafter. The autopsy and CSI reports show no signs of foul play, but everyone involved has a feeling they are missing something. The Moonlight Magnolia team dig into another murder while also watching love bloom between Savannah's brother and her assistant. Also, Dirk meets his birth parents for the first time. Savannah's life is never dull!

I discovered this series in an airport book store many years ago, and I have followed it faithfully every since. There are lots of side-stories going on in this volume, but they didn't diminish the mystery. The fact that the case wasn't really a case for half the book - because they weren't sure if it was murder - was a nice twist on the usual formula. Savannah and Dirk are still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship - not so much so that Savannah cuts him any slack when he cleaning skills leave a lot to be desired, but there are a lot of lovey-dovey moments between them that changes the tone of this book from that in earlier books in the series.

4 out of 5 stars

* I received an advanced reader copy this book from the publisher, Kensington, for free in the hope that I would review it honestly on my blog. Regardless, I only review books I enjoyed. I don’t believe in passing on negative reviews. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

ONCE UPON A MIDNIGHT EERIE by Gordon McAlpine

Edgar and Allan are on a movie set to star in a show about their ancestor, Edgar Alan Poe. While there, they meet Em and Milly Dickinson, descendants of Emily Dickinson. Together the two sets of twins go on a midnight cemetery tour and search for lost treasure and try to solve a centuries-old murder. But that's nothing compared to the people hunting down Edgar and Allan in order to kill them once and for all.

Another enjoyable book about these fascinating twins! I loved the addition of the twin girls to the story; they were a great complement to the boys. Ghost story is mild; mystery was satisfying. There was less in this book about the over-arching story of threats to the boys, with more focus on the immediate mystery. The contacts from the afterlife continue in this volume, which are amusing. My son introduced me to this series, and I am happy to continue it on my own!

4 out of 5 stars
This book just released this month so there is no AR reading level at the time of this writing.

* I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher for free in the hope that I would review it honestly on my blog. Regardless, I only review books I enjoy. I don’t believe in passing on negative reviews. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. 

TWO LIES AND A SPY by Kat Carlton

Kari receives a text from her mother, a coded message that means she needs to get her little brother and go into hiding. When Kari and Charlie make it to the third meeting spot without running into their folks, they know something is very wrong. Kari and Charlie's parents are spies. The kids know how to get to a safe house and use disguises, but they can only keep up like that for so long. Kari knows she needs help. Her friends help her break into The Agency for answers, but she finds out more than she bargained for.

I had walked by this book in the Teen section at Barnes and Noble several times, picking it up, taking a picture of the cover so I would remember it later, and then putting it down. Finally, I tried it during an hour of free reading on my Nook in the store. I was immediately drawn into the story and at the end of the hour, I had to buy the book so I would know how it ended. Goodreads says there's a sequel in the works, to come out in the fall. It's already on my wish list.

Some reviewers find the story "far fetched," but I wasn't reading this to find out how to be a spy. I just wanted to enjoy a fun story with interesting characters, and this did all that. I figured out some of the "mysteries" and twists before they were revealed in the story, but that didn't make me enjoy it any less. I don't read many teen/YA books, but I really enjoyed this one. Some language and innuendo.

4 out of 5 stars

PALACE OF SPIES by Sarah Zettel

Peggy has nothing - no parents to look out for her, no money or status, no one to stand up for her against a ruthless fiance's accusations. She finds herself on the street with nothing. But then an avenue out of her trouble presents itself - pretend to be a maid of honor to the Princess of England. But Peggy finds more trouble in the palace than she bargained for - blackmail, lies, secrets, treason, and murder. Can Peggy figure out what's really going on before she is discovered - or killed?

When I went to ALA this summer, I had this book on my list of Advance Reader Copies I wanted, but I missed it. The publisher graciously sent me an electronic copy this summer. The story was just as good as I had hoped. Great story, great intrigue. The setting and the time period aren't what I usually read, but I really enjoyed the palace scenes and the discussion of the clothes and expectations of the era. This feels like the beginning of a series, and if that is the case, I will be lining up for book two.  The main character was a lot of fun - I loved the scene she has with the Princess' daughter. The other characters were also well written - it was hard to tell who to trust. Great mystery. There is some language and adult situations that would lead me to steer teens towards this one rather than my elementary students. Releases November 5th.

4 out of 5 stars

* I received this book from the publisher for free in the hope that I would review it honestly on my blog. Regardless, I only review books I enjoyed. I don’t believe in passing on negative reviews. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Graphic Novels week: 3-2-3 DETECTIVE AGENCY by Fiona Robinson

Five critters (a donkey, a dung beetle, a penguin, a rat and a sloth) meet and decide to form a detective agency together. Their first case? To find the animals that have gone missing all over Whiska City.

I had so many graphic novels from ALA this last summer, I made a pile of them and read them one after another. This was one I have had on my shelves at home for awhile, so I threw this on the pile, too. This was a cute story! The colorful pictures, funny characters and mystery story will appeal to many of my students.

3 out of 5 stars
AR Reading level of 3.0

CHAPTER BOOK: Hide and Seek (A Silver Jaguar Society Mystery) by Kate Messner

Anna, Jose, and Henry are back, a little more famous for their role in the recovery of the Star-Spangled Banner, and a little more involved in the work of the Silver Jaguar Society (a secret society charged with caring for the world's treasures). When the kids' family members discover a Jaguar artifact recovered in Costa Rica is a fake, the families fly to Costa Rica so the adults can investigate while the kids enjoy the cultural experience of the rain forest. But, of course, the kdis can't stay away from this mystery! Soon they are hunting down clues of their own.

This was an interesting chapter to the overarching story, although the setting of book one appealed to me personally more than the rain forest setting of this story. Hide and Seek is told mostly from Jose's perspective as he struggles with a secret and some increased insecurity about his contributions to the team and his ability to put clues together and find answers. The action and adventure in this story are great and will appeal to readers looking for that in their stories. Great information about rain forest creatures, including fun notes from the author about her research trip to Costa Rica. A major villain in the story is revealed which amps up the tension and the draw to the next book in the series (Manhunt, debuting in Spring, 2014).

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 5.0

Recommended for: fans of Capture the Flag, fans of mysteries or adventure stories

Cautions: none

CHAPTER BOOK: Lawless by Jeffrey Salane

A great mystery staring a girl named M who gets into The Lawless School - a school that trains criminals. At first, M is just there to hone her heisting skills, but it's possible that Lawless holds the secrets she wants to know about her deceased father.

My husband is the one who discovered this book on the shelves of our spring Scholastic book fair. It somehow escaped my notice for a couple days, but when I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. It was terrific - great adventure, some great pranks and challenges for M and her friends at school, and lots of twists and turns to keep the reader wondering who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. No word yet on a sequel, but this is billed as a "book 1." There's also no AR quiz at the time of this writing, but I hope there is one soon - my students are eager to get their hands on this one!

4 out of 5 stars
No AR rating at this time

Recommended for: fans of action/adventure stories, mysteries, strong female characters

CHAPTER BOOK: The Red Blazer Girls: The Secret Cellar by Michael D. Beil

Sophie's quest for a Christmas gift for her dad sets the Red Blazer Girls on a new mystery involving a possible World War II spy, a missing will, a crabby and secretive bookseller, an auction, and a cellar full of treasures and secrets. The girls are in top form, each one contributing her individual expertise to help solve the puzzles. The adults are a good support cast, bringing their own expertise and tackling some of the tasks kids can't do alone to make the story work. I was between books when I picked this up, looking for something tangible to take on our holiday travels along with my Nook. I was drawn into the story right away and couldn't wait to see how all the pieces fit together in the end. Great mystery and great ensemble of characters. Fourth in a series.

4 out of 5 stars
No AR rating yet

Recommended for: readers fourth grade and older, fans of the series, as well as mystery fans and puzzle/code fans.

FICTION for ADULTS: Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson

Katie Chandler is one of those rare folks in the world without an ounce of magic in her, making her a perfect person to work for a magical company. Katie can see concealed clauses in contracts or people masking themselves to change how they look. These skills come in handy when a rogue wizard decides he doesn't want to play nicely with the magical community any more.

When this book was first published, paranormal romance/mystery stories were not as prevalent as they are today. Some places shelved this book with general fiction while others tried to categorize it as "urban fantasy." Can you imagine this cover in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the book store? Me neither. It's much lighter fare than what people call urban fantasy these days. And I like it that way!

I reviewed this book several years ago, but I recently discovered that the author had two more books in the series available for my Nook, so I downloaded the whole lot of them and started reading again. When I first reviewed this, my blog was only a few months old and I didn't give ratings and such. I would give this book 4 stars. I'm really looking forward to re-reading the next three books and then diving into the new material! If you like paranormal stories, but not the darker ones with vampires and demons and zombies and such, take a look at Enchanted, Inc. and the rest of the series!

CHAPTER BOOK: Capture the Flag by Kate Messner

I read about this book in one of my magazines and immediately put it on my upcoming releases list with stars and exclamation points. I was not disappointed.

Anna, Jose and Henry are stranded in an airport in a snow storm. All three kids had been together the night before at the Smithsonian American History Museum, but they didn't know each other yet. At the museum, they didn't know that they all came from families that were part of a secret society. At the museum, they didn't know someone was about to steal the Star-Spangled Banner. Once they do meet, at the snowed-in airport, and they hear about the theft, Anna is convinced that they should go looking for the flag at the airport. Maybe the thief is stuck in the snow like everyone else. Maybe, if they solve the crime, they could be part of the secret society and help protect our nation's most precious artifacts.

Review - I loved this story! The three main characters were fantastic. They make a young friend at the airport who is also a delight. Each child's situation at the airport makes it believable (in that stretchy kind of way a lot of kids fiction works to get kids into unusual situations and places) that they could disappear from their respective grown up for hours and get into some of the places they end up. The mystery was pretty basic and the clues to the culprit fairly clear (at least to an adult reading the story), but the journey was what made the story. Having visited The Star-Spangled Banner last month made this extra fun to read. I hope there are going to be more adventures for Anna, Jose and Henry (and maybe Sinan). I can't wait to share this one with my students this year. It's a treat!

4.5 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 4.5

FRIDAY: The Sherlockian

Summary 
1900 - Arthur Conan Doyle and his friend, Bram Stoker, are drawn into a real life mystery when someone sends Doyle a letter bomb and a young bride is murdered.

2010 - Harold White, a Sherlockian, is drawn into a real life mystery when another Holmesophile is found dead before he can share with the world the holy grail of their movement - a missing Doyle diary.

Review
The missing diary, of course, is for the time period covered in the book by the story from 1900. There are lots of twists and turns in this one. The mystery is well-written. I described it to others as "compelling." I'm not sure I loved it, but I had to finish it to know what happened and how it all works together. Even though it wasn't a good fit for me, I can recommend it to others as it is a well-crafted story


4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: Sherlock Holmes fans, mystery lovers (this is not a "cozy" mystery),

Cautions: some language and violence

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Waiting on WEDNESDAY: March New Releases, part 2

More mysteries coming out this month!

FRIDAY: Royal Blood

Summary 
Lady Georgiana Rannoch - penniless, but 34th in line to the throne - has a choice to make. Stay in London with her brother "Binky" and horrible sister-in-law, "Fig" or travel to Transylvania for a royal wedding. The wedding would require Georgie to take on a clueless maid, bossy chaperone, Prince Siegfried (a fish-lipped bore who wants to marry her), and a murderer.  Well, Binky and Fig are pretty awful!

Review

I don't generally read books set in the past - I'm more of a future/sci-fi reader, but I love Georgie's spunk. She uses great creativity in her penniless, jobless circumstances, and her relationship with the Queen is always interesting. The mystery is well done - keeps the reader guessing. Characters are well-written and delineated, secondary characters are interesting, and I found the vampire/werewolf pieces amusing.



4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: mystery fans, historical mystery readers, fans of stories including British/European royalty


Cautions: none

[I am an Amazon Associate. If you link to Amazon from one of my blogs and buy something, I receive a small portion of the purchase price.]

Waiting on WEDNESDAY: March New Releases, part 1

March Mysteries - at least, a few of the new ones coming out this month.    

FRIDAY: Naked Heat

Summary

Castle is one of my favorite TV shows, and I love mysteries, so I had to try out the books from the series. I reviewed the first book here. 


Once again, detective Nikki Heat is reluctantly partnered with journalist Jameson Rook in the investigation of the murder of a famous tabloid-type journalist, Cassidy Towne. Towne's job lends to a plethora of viable murder suspects. Heat will need Rook's research on the victim (he was working on a profile of her when she died) and all of her wits to slog through motives and alibis to catch a killer

Review

I had a hard time to get into the rhythm of this book. I don't know if that is because of the book or just because I was trying to read it when I had several other demands on my time and attention. I still enjoy the interplay of the characters. The author has done a good job, in my opinion, of capturing the "voice" of the characters from the TV show. The mystery was good, with plenty of suspects to choose from as well as plot twists and turns. If you like the show, check out the books for some fun reading.



3 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: fans of the TV Show, mystery fans


Cautions: Language and "grown up" situations and innuendo





[I am an Amazon Associate. If you link to Amazon from one of my blogs and buy something, I receive a small portion of the purchase price.]

FRIDAY: The Long Quiche Goodbye

Charlotte Bessette and her family have developed an amazing cheese and wine shop. But everything they have built is put in jeopardy when a body is found outside their shop and Charlotte's grandmere is accused of murder.

Good, chunky story with fun cheese facts and lots of suspects. I did have trouble keeping track of some of the secondary characters, which was about my only complaint (oh, and the weird behavior of the best friend and the cousin, which was sorted out about half way though. I was glad it didn't drag through the whole book). I loved the main characters - Charlotte, her grandparents, her staff at the shop, her cousin's daughters, the chief of police and the love interest. All were great, clearly defined characters. I can't wait to see what happens to all of them next - there were hints to some back stories that could open up new story lines in the future. The mystery kept me guessing right up to the reveal.

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