Hi friends, this week’s small-ish booklist post has a trio of titles featuring detective stories set somewhere in the not-so distant past. My niece isn’t a huge fan of history but I hope to convince her with this short list. Here’s hoping your tweens find something interesting in this post!!
To begin with I decided to start off with a trilogy of mystery reads set during the Depression era in the English seaside town of Seabourne. Nancy Parker isn’t just a housemaid but also a bit of a sleuth. In the first book, Nancy Parker’s Diary of Detection by Julia Lee (Oxford University Press, 2016) we meet young Nancy as she begins her first position as a housemaid to a very modern lady, Mrs. Bruce. Although she’d rather be out and about solving mysteries, Nancy soon discovers mysteries right on her doorstep when someone sneaks away with the silver and Mrs. Bruce’s jewels. Suddenly almost everyone is a suspect; could it be Cook or even Mrs. Bruce? Set in the years after the Great War has ended during the Depression Era in the 1920’s, Nancy’s ‘diary of detection’ tells of the ‘suspishus’ and mysterious goings-on she’s dealing with along with the dusting and cleaning until her feet fall off! Half written in diary format with Nancy’s grievances and observations, this lovely story is full of mystery and intrigue. Readers will enjoy the quirky characters and the intriguing storyline. I liked how the three kids, Nancy, Elle and Quentin, became friends quickly and band together to solve the case despite the class difference that was very strict back then.
The next instalment, Nancy Parker’s Spooky Speculations (Oxford University Press, 2017) sees Nancy dusting off her detective skills to investigate some strange noises and ghostly appearances in an old house by the sea. Her old friend Ella Otter helps her delve into a mystery of creaks and thumps that only Nancy hears. Danger is afoot, will the two girls be able to escape from the dark secrets the old house holds? In this story, Nancy has a new job as a housekeeper in an old, dark, dusty and strange house by the sea. Despite the crazy and strange things that happen to Nancy and Ella, you can’t help but laugh at what they get up to!
The last instalment of this trilogy, Nancy Parker’s Chilling Conclusions (Oxford University Press, 2018) sees our young protagonist accompanying her new employer in her new job as a lady’s maid to the grand and mysterious Midwinter Manor. The thing is though, Nancy discovers a dead body in the library, and everything takes a turn for the worst. What secrets lurk in the walls of Midwinter Manor? Will Nancy be able to solve this case in a house full of strange guests? If you enjoyed the previous two stories, then this will surely not disappoint. In this story not only does Quentin help out, but Ella’s cousins from America come to the gang’s assistance! I really loved the attention to detail in all three of these reads and enjoyed the illustrations created by Chloe Bonfield. They gave a different feel to the story. You can tell the author has done plenty of research in the notes section where she describes her visit to Ightham Motel in Kent, a National Trust property for inspiration. These are awesome reads if you like classic crime stories!!
The next book is one that will take you across the Atlantic to America at a time just as Abraham Lincoln heads for the White House. The Detective’s Assistant by Kate Hannigan (Little, Brown & Co, 2015) tells a tale of eleven-year-old Nell Warne as she arrives at her long-lost aunt’s doorstep hugging a sack full of sorrows. Much to Nell’s surprise, her aunt is a detective, working for the world-famous Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency! Nell quickly makes herself indispensable to Aunt Kate… and not just by helping out with household chores. As her aunt travels around the country solving mysteries, Nell must crack codes, wear disguises, and spy on nefarious criminals. As nation-changing events simmer in the background as Abraham Lincoln heads for the White House, Aunt Kate works on the biggest case of her life. Nell, on the other hand, is quietly working on a case of her own: the mystery of what really happened the night her best friend left town. This was truly an exhilarating read!! Nell and her aunt Kate sure do spark the imagination with their daring and bravery. What I liked the most was how this story is based on the extraordinary true story of America’s first female detective, Kate Warne, and how historical events during that time are expertly woven into the story!! You’ll find some amazing descriptions of the lives they led back then and the hardships they endured to stay alive. By the end you’ll find yourself either rooting for Nell or chiding her for her behaviour!!
This last entry is another series. The Sinclair’s Mysteries by Katherine Woodfine (Egmont, 2015-2017) is a quartet of reads that take you into the opulent world of Sinclair’s Department store in the heart of Edwardian era London. Beginning with The Clockwork Sparrow readers will meet our pair of sleuths, or should I say, bold heroines in Miss Sophie Taylor and Miss Lilian Rose. Working in a world of perfumes, hats, mysteries and theft hide around every corner. It’s up to these young ladies to break codes and vow to bring the evil villains to justice. The second, The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth, sees the young ladies investigating the puzzling disappearance of the Jewelled Moth, a priceless jewel, while donning cunning disguises among high society. The brave duo follow a trail of secrets that leads to London’s most dangerous criminal mastermind, and could put their own lives at risk. The Painted Dragon, the next instalment of adventures, has our duo looking into a stolen painting. Our dauntless heroines, Sophie and Lil, find themselves faced with forgery, trickery, and deceit on all sides in this next adventure!! They need to pit their wits against a fiendish puzzle and prove themselves detectives to be reckoned with. The last story, The Midnight Peacock, takes the detective duo to Sinclair’s Midnight Ball where sinister secrets come to light and our intrepid duo find themselves faced with a more battling mystery than ever. With the help of their friends, the pair uncover a truly diabolical plot in this thrilling conclusion to their adventures!! Set in London during the Edwardian era with maids, butlers and fainting debs, this lovely series focuses our attention on the young female sleuths that are Sophie and Lil!! Although throughout the series they have help from young Billy, Joe, Song and Mr Pendleton, it’s mostly the daring and courage from the young girls that get the story moving. Each young girl we meet, whether it’s the maid Tilly at Winter Hall, young Mei from Chinatown in the East End or student Leo, they all have plenty of courage and spunk to make their mark on this story!! The main detectives, Sophie and Lil, to me, are the cleverest of the lot!! Willing to do anything to find the truth, thwart their enemies and restore the stolen items to their rightful owners; these two young girls use their deducing skills and other fascinating attributes to bring justice!! This was such an excellent series to read!! Each book can be read by themselves but reading them in order can also help!
Hope you and tween enjoyed this selection!!
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 