Hi there, this last week’s post has another booklist in store for you! I thought long and hard on what to include in this one as I knew I had to come up with some interesting and intriguing reads for Miss Eleven. Having acquired her approval on code breakers and secret agencies, I finally managed to get a few titles read before setting up this blog post. So, without any further rambling… please press below to find out which titles made the cut…
Firstly I need to state that all of these are serial reads, meaning there’s more out there. I’ve decided to just give you a review of the first one and let you explore the rest of them. So, sit back and scroll down to see which ones were my nieces fave reads…
This first title is one I think I’ve reviewed before. Into the Lion’s Den by Linda Fairstein (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2016) takes us into the New York Public library, you know that big huge building with the large lions at the entrance. Best-selling crime author Linda Fairstein promises a smart, strong heroine in this thrilling new mystery series for younger readers. Young Devlin Quick is not your usual kid from New York. With her wits, persistence, her friends and New York City’s finest (and, okay, a little bit of help from her police commissioner mother), Dev and her friends piece together clues and uncover mysteries in this series. Following Devlin as she outwits a group of map thieves in this first title, young readers will find themselves captivated and hooked from the very first pages, I most definitely was!! Fans who enjoy fast-paced detective/sleuth reads will enjoy this young heroine and her group of friends as she treks around New York with the help of an awesome supporting cast!!
This next read, Eye Spy by Tessa Buckley (Matador, 2016) is actually about a pair of private investigators. Yes, you read that right! Twins Alex and Donna McIntyre have set up their own private investigation firm called Eye Spy Investigation in the hopes of solving crimes in their hometown, Holcombe Bay, a small coastal town in England. When they start looking for a valuable missing dog in the first story, they soon have an eclectic collection of suspects. But as they struggle to make sense of the evidence, the twins begin to uncover an even bigger mystery in their own family. Filled with mystery and mayhem, your usual take from those stories with boy-girl twins, this story will not disappoint. I loved the school dramas and the dynamics of this not-so-broken family are cleverly interwoven into the mysteries and cases they have to solve!! Tessa Buckley is an excellent writer and spins a daring web from beginning to end and lets it unravel to a dramatic conclusion.
Lauren Child’s first instalment in her Ruby Redfort series, Look Into My Eyes (HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2011) was one of the few books I read quite recently and passed on as a recommendation to Miss Eleven. Let’s just say she’s ‘looking into it’!! Ruby Redfort is not your average thirteen-year-old as she’s just been asked to become a CODE-CRACKER in the Super Secret Agency Spectrum. Their #1 rule – keep it zipped. Lucky for Ruby Redfort, she’s always cool and she can keep her mouth shut… can’t she? There’s only one way to find out. What an awesome adventure this was!! Filled with spies, codes, mysterious goings-on, and worst of all… bad guys!! Ruby Redfort looks like an ordinary girl but she’s actually a code-cracking genius!! With the help of her best friend Clancy Crewe, they get themselves tangled in a bank heist.. Or do they? I loved how awesome Ruby and Clancy’s friendship was described and although her parents sounded a bit silly, they added a hilarious contrast to the fast-paced action. Reading a bit like the spy stories Miss Eleven watches, but funnier, this is a perfect series to get into for those who enjoy solving clues and cracking codes!!
The last title is the first in the Agatha Oddly series, The Secret Key by Lena Jones (HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2018). Agatha Oddly has been a detective for as long as she can remember – she’s just been waiting for their first big case. And nothing gets bigger than saving the city of London from some strange goings-on. With a home in the middle of Hyde Park, a room full of beloved sleuthing novels and a secret key that gives her access to a whole hidden side of London, Agatha is perfectly poised to solve this mystery. The first of the Agatha Oddly books is surely off the charts awesome!! This super sleuth and her friend Liam Lau tackle a mystery that;s quite fascinating to be honest!! What an awesome fast paced story!! Each chapter had action and mystery in tandem with some hilarious school scenes. And those descriptions of life in London steeped in mystery and haunted by an unnerving water crisis, just amazing!! Awesome characters in Liam and brianna!! Her father and the other adults in her life are expertly crafted. I loved that she’s named after Agatha Christie!! This is surely another amazing series to get started with!!
Well, friends, there you have a short selection, or should I say a quartet or detective reads, mostly of girl detectives. My niece is getting stuck into them and says she’ll give me her decision soon. When that is… only time will tell. Until then…
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 