This story centres around four children who have formed a detective club, inspired by Agatha Christie’s novels. We are introduced to them at the start of the book, including their likes, dislikes and top detective skills with these traits popping up throughout each mystery.

The book is divided into five separate mysteries that – in a similar vein to Agatha Christie’s sleuths – the kids accidentally become embroiled in.

Each chapter starts with an introduction and then the detective work begins, as the reader is asked to help work out clues in the shape of puzzles and brain teasers. I worked (and it really is work at times) through the book with my eight-year-old son, and my 14-year-old daughter helped out. Some of the puzzles were too hard for my son but a breeze for my daughter. Sometimes with some guidance my son could figure things out and where I got stuck my daughter came to the rescue.

My family and I loved this sweet, fun and brain-straining puzzle book. It is a perfect book to read together and work on every now and then when you feel like it. The style is friendly and oh-so-quaint and makes you want to go and have high tea and read Agatha Christie novels. Highly recommended!

Book review by Amanda Brinkman
Age Guide 9+