Review: Amanda Lester and the Blue Peacocks' Secret by Paula Berinstein with Giveaway

So far this series contains 4 books: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy (Amanda Lester, Detective #1), Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis (Amanda Lester, Detective #2), Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle (Amanda Lester, Detective #3) and Amanda Lester and the Blue Peacocks' Secret (Amanda Lester, Detective #4). You can get the first book in the series for only 0.99$ at amazon.

Amanda Lester and the Blue Peacocks’ Secret

(Amanda Lester, Detective #4)

by Paula Berinstein

YA Mystery/ Detective/ Fantasy

What does a dusty old secret have to do with peacocks?

Everything, as it turns out. When Amanda is knocked off her skateboard by a rare all-blue peacock, she learns that the species harbors a vital secret she must race to uncover. But before she can unravel the mystery, a startling archaeological discovery turns all of Britain against the detectives and threatens their very existence.

As old enemies gather strength and new adversaries emerge, Amanda finds herself dealing with hysterical teachers, a disappearing mentor, a mysterious poisoner, and a would-be magician. With so much at stake and so little time, the last thing she needs is to fall in love.

You can find Amanda Lester and the Blue Peacocks’ Secret on Goodreads

You can buy Amanda Lester and the Blue Peacocks’ Secret here:
- Amazon

MY TIDBITS

This is the forth book in the series, and although some background information is dropped in during the first pages, I would not recommend it as a stand alone. Much of the story and character actions build from the other books.

Amanda picks up where book three left off, and that is in a tumult of problems. New professors with difficult personalities, missing persons, and to make matters worse, her own mother now stalks the secret detective school's hallways. Not to mention the rising romance problems. Several characters slide from their more background positions into the spotlight, offering entirely new twists and very unexpected turns. In other words, the mysteries and plot do not repeat themselves but definitely offer something new.

Although there's a lot going on in the way of sub-plots, it calms down a little in comparison with the other books and more focus is placed on the inter-personal relationships. This trips Amanda up a little--social skills aren't always her strong point--and the friendships are tested and pulled in unexpected ways. Even her dealings with the cases seems a little less sure than before as she's forced to handle with others' and her own emotions. The explanations and 'evil' intentions are also lighter than before thanks to this more personal switch.

Something is always happening in these pages, making the book hard to put down. Every corner holds an unexpected surprise, many which shake Amanda and her friends' world. The mysteries themselves weren't as clearly laid out as in Amanda's earlier adventures, and some almost seem to fall by the wayside but do wrap up by the end. The world is upside down, and this is felt throughout the book.

Summed up: This is a book packed full of mystery with plenty of unexpected moments. There's more relationship/friendship drama than in the other books, but it's very fitting for the age group and makes the main character that much clearer. I can't wait to see the next book and what new mysteries arise now that the characters have been shook up a bit.



And here's a run-down of the other books in the series!!!

Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy

 (Amanda Lester, Detective #1)

by Paula Berinstein

Genre: Mystery/ Detective/ Fantasy

Age category: Middle Grade

Release Date: May, 2015

Blurb:
A reluctant detective, a criminal mastermind, and . . . sugar?

Amanda Lester wouldn’t be caught dead going into the family business. Her ancestor, Sherlock Holmes’s colleague Inspector G. Lestrade, is a twit. Nevertheless her parents refuse to see his flaws, and she’s going to a secret English school for the descendants of famous detectives whether she likes it or not.

When Amanda arrives at the dreaded school, she considers running away—until she and her new friends discover blood and weird pink substances in odd places. At first they’re not sure whether these seeming clues mean anything, but when Amanda’s father disappears and the cook is found dead with her head in a bag of sugar, they’re certain that crimes are taking place.

Now Amanda must embrace her destiny and uncover the truth. The only snag is that arch-villain Blixus Moriarty, a descendant of Holmes’s nemesis Professor James Moriarty, might be involved, and he doesn’t like nosy little girls interfering in his business.

You can find Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy on Goodreads

You can buy Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy here for only 0.99$:
- Amazon
- Amazon Paperback
- Barnes & Noble

You can find my review for Book 1 here!

Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis

(Amanda Lester, Detective #2)

By Paula Berinstein

Genre: Mystery/ Detective/ Fantasy

Age category: Middle Grade

Release Date: September 15, 2015

Blurb:
If only Sherlock Holmes's great-great-grandson weren't such a dork . . .

There’s a new student at the Legatum Continuatum School for the Descendants of Famous Detectives and Amanda is supposed to work with him. Scapulus Holmes is a descendant of the great Sherlock and he’s crazy about her. Unfortunately she thinks he’s a dork and would rather die than have anything to do with him.

But when the kids discover a dead body encrusted with strange living crystals, Amanda realizes she needs Holmes’s help. If the crystals fall into the wrong hands they could be used for nefarious purposes, and only he knows how to protect them.

Can the detectives keep the bad guys from learning the crystals' secrets? It would help if they could figure out who the dead body is too. Only if Amanda and Holmes can find a way to work together can they prevent a disaster, and it isn’t looking good

You can find Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis on Goodreads

You can buy Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis here:
- Amazon
- Amazon Paperback
- Barnes & Noble

You can find my review for book two here!

Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle

 (Amanda Lester, Detective #3)

By Paula Berinstein

Genre: Mystery/ Detective/ Fantasy

Age category: Middle Grade

Release Date: November 15, 2015

Blurb:
Purple rainbows, a mysterious crypt, and pots of gold . . .

Things are not going well for Amanda and the secret detective school. A priceless artifact has disappeared, a dangerous hacker is manipulating matter, and zombies are being seen all over the Lake District.

Then the real trouble starts. When her cousins go missing and her friend Clive is kidnapped, Amanda is forced to turn to someone she’d rather not deal with: her old boyfriend Scapulus Holmes. But then he vanishes too. Now’s she’s sure that arch-villain Blixus Moriarty is involved . . . or is he?

You can find Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle on Goodreads

You can buy Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle here:
- Amazon
- Amazon Paperback




And here she is. . .

PAULA BERINSTEIN!!!

Paula Berinstein is nothing like Amanda. For one thing, she’s crazy about Sherlock Holmes. For another, she’s never wanted to be a filmmaker. In addition, compared to Amanda she’s a big chicken! And she wouldn’t mind going to a secret school at all. In fact, she’s hoping that some day she’ll get to build one.

You can discover more about Paula. . .
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Paula's blog on Goodreads
- The Writing Show podcasts
- Newsletter

GIVEAWAY!!!

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This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. Want to follow the tour? It runs from 18 April till 1 May, you can view the complete tour schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.