I don't know about you, but I'm ready for another mystery...something which really hooks and keeps the clues coming, one right after the other. I'm hoping today's read does just this. It's from a debut author and sounds very promising. I also love how busy the cover is and wonder what hints all of those objects might hold.
Grab those sleuth hats because it's time to figure out 'who done it'!
THE FAIRFLEET AFFAIR
The A&A Detective Agency
by K.H. Saxton
Union Square Kids
Middle Grade Mystery
272 pages
ages 8 to 12
COMING...
SEPTEMBER 19th!!!
Follow clues, solve puzzles, crack the code... find the missing millionaire.
The celebrated museums of the Fairfleet Institute are known for curating the mysteries of humanity. But they don’t solve mysteries. Luckily, twelve-year-old friends Alex Foster and Asha Singh of the A&A Detective Agency do. Or they will . . . once they get a real case to test their skills as sleuths.
When Dr. Alistair Fairfleet, the institute’s eccentric chairman, disappears on the first day of Alex and Asha’s summer vacation, they receive a letter written by the missing millionaire himself inviting them to a game involving complicated clues and puzzles. It is just the sort of case they’ve been waiting to tackle. But nothing in the Fairfleet case has a simple solution. As the kids track down clues, they uncover art forgeries, archaeological crimes, and Fairfleet family secrets. All of this tests their partnership and forces them to confront the complicated legacies of the people and places they admire most.
The celebrated museums of the Fairfleet Institute are known for curating the mysteries of humanity. But they don’t solve mysteries. Luckily, twelve-year-old friends Alex Foster and Asha Singh of the A&A Detective Agency do. Or they will . . . once they get a real case to test their skills as sleuths.
When Dr. Alistair Fairfleet, the institute’s eccentric chairman, disappears on the first day of Alex and Asha’s summer vacation, they receive a letter written by the missing millionaire himself inviting them to a game involving complicated clues and puzzles. It is just the sort of case they’ve been waiting to tackle. But nothing in the Fairfleet case has a simple solution. As the kids track down clues, they uncover art forgeries, archaeological crimes, and Fairfleet family secrets. All of this tests their partnership and forces them to confront the complicated legacies of the people and places they admire most.
MY TIDBITS
With the excitement of a treasure hunt, this is a mystery to keep the reader anticipating the next clue at every turn of the page.
Dr. Alistair Fairfleet has gone missing. As a millionaire and the head of a well-known institute, this is hardly a small thing, especially since only the four directors and the A&A Detective Agency have received letters with clues. Alex and Asha take the problem seriously, but then, they only have two weeks to find him. Or else. But this isn't a straight-forward case. According to the clues, the four directors aren't as innocent as they appear, and their secrets are more incriminating than anyone imagines.
Alex and Asha are quite the detective duo, and while they act very age appropriate, are clever and catch things the adults tend to overlook. But not always and not always at the same time. That's one of he fun things about this read. Alex and Asha don't see the world the same way, nor do they always agree. The author lets their different viewpoints snuggle right together in an unique way, so that the clash is obvious. This not only adds a dab of humor but makes their personalities shine, without plunging into deep character moments. The story keeps a steady pace, letting the clues pull from one scene to the next.
The secrets Alex and Asha uncover point at serious crimes and remain age appropriate. The mystery never talks down to the reader, but displays how appearances aren't always true and, sometimes, there's a lot more to things than even the second or third glance uncovers. This also introduces readers to archeology and problems in the museum realm as well as to Shakespeare, especially King Lear. There are a few lesser known vocabulary words to help readers build on that end, too. So, there's more to this book than first meets the eye.
It's a smooth, fun read, which keeps the reader guessing until the end and has some surprising twists. The characters are enjoyable and come across with natural finesse. It left me wanting to climb into the A&A treehouse and see what Alex and Asha will be up to next.
And here she is...
K. H. Saxton is an English teacher and boarding school administrator in Connecticut. The A&A Detective Agency: The Fairfleet Affair is her first novel.
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