December 23, 2019
Child sleuths investigate a poisoning in this winning whodunit based on Agatha Christie’s childhood. In 1902 Torquay, Aggie Morton, 12, whose father recently died, has what her mother calls a “Morbid Preoccupation.” Additionally, the aspiring writer, homeschooled and often shy, likes crafting descriptive variations (“eyes like lime cordial?... Glittering emeralds?”). In a chance sweet-shop encounter, she befriends Belgian refugee Hector Perot, a fastidious boy staying for a time nearby (“our own little immigrant,” his hosts call him). After leaving her journal at her dance studio one evening following a charitable “Befriend the Foreigners” concert, Aggie returns to find a disagreeable local woman dead beneath the titular instrument. When an anonymous note with clues to the murderer’s identity appears, the children jump on the case, much to the delight of a prolific reporter and the keen frustration of the constabulary. Though Perot’s presence adds little more than Easter eggs (e.g., his namesake’s phrasing habits) to the otherwise well-plotted mystery, he is set up to play a larger role in future installments. Jocelyn (One Yellow Ribbon) offers an enjoyable entrée to the Queen of Crime and to the genre; the narrative’s arch tone, the girl’s vital grandmother, and the novel’s surfeit of extravagant teas should please. Character portraits and chapter heading spot art from Follath (Joy) add whimsical appeal. Ages 10–up.
January 1, 2021
Jocelyn turns to the "country house party" trope in this entertaining Aggie Morton sequel (The Body Under the Piano, rev. 1/20). Twelve-year-old Aggie (loosely based on Agatha Christie) and her friend Hector Perot are spending Christmas at Owl Park, where Aggie's sister, newly a baroness, is learning to be mistress of a great house. The mystery begins when the other guests arrive. One guest, Lakshay Sivam, is carrying a possibly cursed emerald, which he plans to return to his native Sri Lanka; it disappears just as one of the actors hired to entertain the house party is murdered -- and then Lakshay goes missing. Although the police take charge, Aggie, Hector, and their new friend Lucy can't stop themselves from doing some investigating of their own. With a solidly plotted whodunit, Jocelyn keeps readers guessing through a complex cast of suspects, all with something to hide, and enough red herrings to keep any detective on her toes. Despite the high stakes, the book keeps a generally light tone, making for an enjoyable read. Jocelyn touches on deeper issues, including Aggie's concerns about her widowed mother's ongoing depression, but the action always takes center stage.
(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
January 1, 2021
Jocelyn turns to the "country house party" trope in this entertaining Aggie Morton sequel (The Body Under the Piano, rev. 1/20). Twelve-year-old Aggie (loosely based on Agatha Christie) and her friend Hector Perot are spending Christmas at Owl Park, where Aggie's sister, newly a baroness, is learning to be mistress of a great house. The mystery begins when the other guests arrive. One guest, Lakshay Sivam, is carrying a possibly cursed emerald, which he plans to return to his native Sri Lanka; it disappears just as one of the actors hired to entertain the house party is murdered -- and then Lakshay goes missing. Although the police take charge, Aggie, Hector, and their new friend Lucy can't stop themselves from doing some investigating of their own. With a solidly plotted whodunit, Jocelyn keeps readers guessing through a complex cast of suspects, all with something to hide, and enough red herrings to keep any detective on her toes. Despite the high stakes, the book keeps a generally light tone, making for an enjoyable read. Jocelyn touches on deeper issues, including Aggie's concerns about her widowed mother's ongoing depression, but the action always takes center stage. Sarah Rettger
(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)