children's mystery | Rosie Amber

Spark by M.G. Leonard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Spark (The Twitchers) is a children’s story ideal for middle grade readers or those around the ages of 9-12 years of age. The story is set in England.

The protagonists are a group of friends drawn together by an interest in bird watching. They are also keen to solve local mysteries.

In this story Jack discovers an injured cat while on his way to meet his friends. The vet confirms that the cat has been shot and it isn’t the first one. It seems someone is targeting cats and Jack is determined to find out who is behind it.

When Jack attempts to get his bird-watching friends involved in the mystery, most of them become distracted by news of a rare bird which is heading their way—so just Jack and a breakaway team follow clues to the cat hunters.

This is a very readable story especially for children who enjoy wildlife and nature. Imagine a modern-day Famous Five/ Swallows and Amazons type storyline, outdoors adventure. Happy to recommend.

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Orange rose book description — Book description

When Jack rescues a wounded cat, he quickly suspects foul play. Could there be a wildlife criminal on the loose in Briddvale?

Jack rushes to investigate, determined to catch the culprit, only to stumble into a deepening mystery and a sinister criminal plot.

Can Jack and The Twitchers stop the villains before it’s too late?

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Drama and Danger by J.T. Williams

3.5 stars

The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger is a children’s story suitable for 8 -12 years of age and above. The setting is London in the late 1700s and mixes a stage production of Shakespeare’s Othello with the fight to abolish the African slave trade.

The main protagonists are two young girls (Lizzie is twelve) who become detectives and try to solve the mystery behind an attack on Lizzie’s father at the theatre. The book also centres around the themes and rights of Africans and how the laws of equality were being fought.

The author has done a good job of adding historical facts within the storyline without it feeling like a history lesson. Lizzie and Belle are both sensible, likable characters and the secondary characters are all believable.

I liked the book layout which had plenty of excellent black and white illustrations, copies of letters and case notes and decorated chapter headings. The chapters, themselves are quite short which all make this easily readable for its intended age group. I did wonder if it is realistic that 12-year-olds in 18th Century London would have even known about the slave trade, but understand the purpose of the book.

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A thrilling middle grade mystery series, perfect for fans of Robin Steven’s Murder Most Unladylike. Set in eighteenth-century London, with all the fun and zest of Hamilton, Bridgerton fashion and inspired by real Black British historical figures.

Twelve-year-olds Lizzie Sancho and Dido Belle are from different worlds – Lizzie lives in Westminster in her dad’s tea shop, while Belle is an heiress being brought up by her aunt and uncle at grand Kenwood House – but they both share a love of solving mysteries.

And when their eyes meet in the audience of the Drury Lane theatre one night, both girls are sure they’ve seen something suspicious on stage.

Lizzie and Belle soon find themselves on the trail of a mystery – and becoming best friends. But can they work out what’s going on in time to prevent a murder?

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