Minerva Keen's Detective Club. James Patterson and Keir Graff. 2023. [May] 336 pages. [Source: Library] [Middle Grade]
First sentence: At the marble-topped chess table in the wood-paneled lounge of our apartment building, I sat across from my elderly neighbor, Kermit Hermanson. Both of us were playing fast and furiously. I wanted to win so badly it was killing me.
Premise/plot: Minerva Keen starts a detective club after a series of strange occurrences at the apartment building where she leaves. The strange occurrences? Well a series of poisonings--a few residents die from the poison; a few manage to survive just long enough for the police (and Minerva's detective club) to solve the case. Minerva and her brother, Heck, are being cared for by their cousin, Bizzy, a college student, I believe. The parents are off--perhaps in more than one way. Essentially, all the kids are running amok, but, that might be beneficial considering how helpful they are to the police detective.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed so many aspects of this one. Was it realistic? No. Definitely more of an escape read. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. The "problems" in this one aren't like the problems you'd find in so called "problem books" that are super-serious and heavy. Yes, the parents are completely and totally missing and oblivious to their kids' needs. Yes, the cousin--who's in her early to mid 20s--isn't much more responsible. But on the bright side, the book almost sparkles with entertainment value.
All that being said, I cringe at the thought of the ending chapters of this one. I can't say why without spoiling. I'll give you a hint though--it's not clown or dentist related.
© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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