Kid detectives find themselves mixed up in 10 interconnected mysteries.
Native Briton Kat Wolfe and her American friend, Harper Lamb, daughters of a veterinarian and a paleontologist, respectively, feel fully equipped to take on a mystery or two—after all, they’ve done it before (Kat Wolfe Investigates, 2018). But this new one proves to be a little more complicated—they count at least 10, many pertaining to endangered and extinct (and maybe fantastical) creatures, from bluefin tunas to dinosaurs. Is the new fossil unearthed in their Dorset, England, town a dinosaur or a dragon? Why are two Hollywood stars interested in it, and why won’t they pay Kat for all the petsitting she’s doing for their Pomeranian? What might Kat’s grandfather, Britain’s minister of defense, have to do with it all? Amazingly, all 10 mysteries do intertwine, though it takes some extraordinary strokes of luck along with Kat’s commendable sleuthing skills. St John makes some missteps with the American characters, using a lot more British language patterns and words than seems plausible for people who didn’t grow up there. Adult characters are silly enough that the kids get to be the heroes of the story, but they’re not so buffoonish that they’ll insult the intelligence of the characters or readers. Kat presents white while brown-skinned Harper is of Cuban descent, and their community reflects a vigorously diverse England.
Animal lovers transitioning from middle grade to YA will find a lot to enjoy here.
(Mystery. 10-14)