A shelf below Blue Balliett’s art- and code-themed mysteries, but Encyclopedia Brown fans will enjoy following the detective...
In his third caper, a young New York sleuth with a photographic memory finds himself a target for revenge.
The appearance of fake bombs with cryptic—encrypted, as it turns out—messages for him at landmarks around the city tells Eddie that Lars, the international art thief stymied in Mystery on Museum Mile (2014), is back for a new heist and a spot of payback. And, rather than keeping Eddie in the loop, both his gorgeous new FBI bodyguard and surly police contact are steadfastly stonewalling him in order, they insist, to keep him safe. It doesn’t work, as, enlisting his ADHD computer-whiz sidekick, Jonah, to hack police files, Eddie gathers clues, solves codes, and by the climax has sketched out photorealistic portraits (supplied by Calo) of Lars and his entire gang. As with Volume 2, Mystery in Mayan Mexico (2015), Wells spins both a heavily contrived body of evidence and a coincidence-driven plotline. Since both the theft and subsequent arrests take place offstage, the actual crime fighting seems almost incidental to Eddie’s personal dramas. Still, the lad uses skills and smarts in credible ways to nab the bad guys, and the climax’s drama is enhanced by some narrowly averted violence. A new character, possibly Lars’ daughter, slips through the net to set up future cases.
A shelf below Blue Balliett’s art- and code-themed mysteries, but Encyclopedia Brown fans will enjoy following the detective work. (cryptography note) (Mystery. 9-11)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-58260-6
Page Count: 208
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A smart, fresh take on an old favorite makes for a terrific series kickoff
A modern Sherlock Holmes retelling brings an 11-year-old black John Watson into the sphere of know-it-all 9-year-old white detective Shelby Holmes.
John's an Army brat who's lived in four states already. Now, with his parents' divorce still fresh, the boy who's lived only on military bases must explore the wilds of Harlem. His new life in 221A Baker St. begins inauspiciously, as before he's even finished moving in, his frizzy-haired neighbor blows something up: "BOOM!" But John's great at making friends, and Shelby certainly seems like an interesting kid to know. Oddly loquacious, brusque, and extremely observant, Shelby's locally famous for solving mysteries. John’s swept up in her detecting when a wealthy, brown-skinned classmate enlists their help in the mysterious disappearance of her beloved show dog, Daisy. Whatever could have happened to the prizewinning Cavalier King Charles spaniel? Has she been swiped by a jealous competitor? Has Daisy’s trainer—mysteriously come into enough money to take a secret weekend in Cozumel—been placing bets against his own dog? Brisk pacing, likable characters, a few silly Holmes jokes ("I'm Petunia Cumberbatch," says Shelby while undercover), and a diverse neighborhood, carefully and realistically described by John, are ingredients for success.
A smart, fresh take on an old favorite makes for a terrific series kickoff . (Mystery. 9-11)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-68119-051-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Superb storytelling.
When Bug’s traditional summer routine is shaken up, her entire life changes.
It’s 1987, and 10-year-old Beatrice “Bug” Contreras has a plan: spend her summer months with her brother, Danny, on Venice Beach as she has for the past two years. But when 14-year-old Danny—who has matured into the name Daniel—wants more time to himself, Bug learns she will be instead hanging out with 11-year-old Frankie, the nephew of Phillip, her mother’s best friend and their upstairs neighbor. Frankie, who is visiting from Ohio, is trans at a time before this identity was well understood and has not been treated with kindness or acceptance by his parents. Frankie and Bug become fascinated with trying to solve the case of the Midnight Marauder, a serial killer who has been striking in the area. When Phillip is attacked, ending up in the hospital, their investigation swivels, and the titular characters uncover a few untold family tales. Bug and Daniel’s late father was a professor from El Salvador with Indigenous ancestry who spoke Nahuatl as well as Spanish and English. Biracial identity is explored in part through the differences in the siblings’ physical appearances: Their mother is implied to be White, and Daniel—who resembles their father more than Bug does—experiences more overt racism and dives into an exploration of his Salvadoran heritage. Readers interested in complex emotional development and relationships will appreciate each character's subtle nuances.
Superb storytelling. (resources, author’s note) (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8253-1
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
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