Partners in Crime Jacket:
Whodunit?
When best friends Darcy and Norah have to create a fake business for a school assignment, they come up with a great idea: a detective agency! Darcy loves mysteries, and Norah likes helping people, so it’s a perfect fit.
But then their pretend agency gets a real case. Someone is missing, and it’s up to Darcy and Norah to take on the search. Unfortunately, there’s someone else out there who doesn’t want the two detectives stirring up any trouble….
With the help of hidden clues, spy gadgets, and trusted friends, can Darcy and Norah crack the case in time?
You can read an excerpt here.
Review:
This series is adorable – and I mean that in an entirely non-cutsey way.
There’s just something about middle grade mysteries – maybe it’s the many obstacles tweens have to overcome when it comes to sleuthing, from curfew to lack of a diver’s license to homework; maybe it’s the fun of having a mystery that doesn’t revolve around a dead body, for a change, or maybe it’s just the joy of watching smart kids win the day, but whatever the reason, I do love them so – and Kim Harrington has delivered three spot-on middle grade mysteries with a very classic, old school feel, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them.
Our dynamic duo, Norah and Darcy, are in a lot of ways quintessential tween sleuths – smart and nerdy, with complimentary strengths: Darcy is a rebellious, take-no-prisoners kind of girl, while Nora is the rule-abiding, cautious one – and while overall the character work is pretty spare, it’s also clear. Both girls are distinct, with dead-on tween voices, and their struggles – spanning from first crushes to pranks to failing friendships – were classic middle school. And while neither of the girls was spectacularly original or unusual, I liked them both very much, and enjoyed spending time with them – and I particularly loved how the dynamic between the two of them shifted and changed over the course of the three books.
As for the mysteries themselves, again I found myself thinking they had a very classic vibe – think Nancy Drew, only without the anachronisms – and I thought across the board they worked well. All three plots were totally believable in terms of being something tween girls could be called upon to solve, and I thought the way the girls went about unraveling the mysteries was both smart, straightforward, and engaging. Now yes, there is a bit of simplicity at play here – Red Herrings are thin on the ground – and so I did get a bit ahead of the whodunit in two of the books, but overall I still thought they were just entertaining. I think this series could be a great gateway drug for young readers new to the mystery genre, and as for the old MG-mystery-hands like myself, well, let me put it this way: I literally read all three books back to back over the course of one day.
So in the end, while these three stories may not make an indelible impression – I doubt I’ll re-read them the way I do the Enola Holmes mysteries – they do make for three light, entertaining reads, simple yet effective, and downright perfect for when you’re just in the mood for sleuthing fun.
Byrt Grade: A-
As Levar Burton used to say – you don’t have to take my word for it…
Light, breezy, quick, and humorous…a perfectly fun middle grade debut by YA author Kim Harrington, and I’ll be breezing gaily through the next books for sure.
I love the mysterious atmosphere and the fact that these two twelve-year olds are trying to solve these light-hearted mysteries…reminds me of how much I loved reading Harriet the Spy when I was younger!
nice! i haven’t seen these anywhere so thanks for putting them on my radar. i admit to being kind of behind on my mg reading. this looks like a very cute series.
And I only heard of them because I knew of Kim Harrington from her YA stuff – but I actually think I like her MG best ;)