Book Review: The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

Publisher’s description

Who killed Brooke Donovan? It’s the biggest mystery of the summer, and everyone in Castle Cove thinks it’s the wrong guy. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and Riverdale can’t miss this page-turning who-done-it that’s sure to be the next must read Young Adult thriller!

Last summer, Alice Ogilvie’s basketball-star boyfriend Steve dumped her. Then she disappeared for five days. She’s not talking, so where she went and what happened to her is the biggest mystery in Castle Cove. Or it was, at least. But now, another one of Steve’s girlfriends has vanished: Brooke Donovan, Alice’s ex–best friend. And it doesn’t look like Brooke will be coming back. . .

Enter Iris Adams, Alice’s tutor. Iris has her own reasons for wanting to disappear, though unlike Alice, she doesn’t have the money or the means. That could be changed by the hefty reward Brooke’s grandmother is offering to anyone who can share information about her granddaughter’s whereabouts. The police are convinced Steve is the culprit, but Alice isn’t so sure, and with Iris on her side, she just might be able to prove her theory.

In order to get the reward and prove Steve’s innocence, they need to figure out who killed Brooke Donovan. And luckily Alice has exactly what they need—the complete works of Agatha Christie. If there’s anyone that can teach the girls how to solve a mystery it’s the master herself. But the town of Castle Cove holds many secrets, and Alice and Iris have no idea how much danger they’re about to walk into.

Amanda’s thoughts

It’s not fair to say I’ve been in a reading slump, really. I’ve still been reading a lot. But I’ve also been skimming a lot. Or abandoning a lot. Or putting a book down because my brain would rather have me go vacuum obsessively or listen to a podcast or whatever. All that is to say that I started reading The Agathas and was TOTALLY invested. And, honestly, I don’t even usually enjoy mysteries. Not knowing who did a thing—the entire point of this story—bothers my anxiety. It gets in the way of my enjoying something, usually. It’s the reason I watch the same TV shows over and over—I feel better when I know what to expect. Brains, am I right? Anyway. I didn’t know who killed Brooke Donovan. I didn’t guess the right person. In fact, I guessed almost everyone but that person. Great writing, right? It’s unusual to not see something coming from a mile away.

The plot is adeptly captured up in that publisher’s description. You get the picture—it’s a whodunit. But I’m here to tell you why you should read it. It’s smart, it’s twisty, it’s layered, and it’s not predictable. Again, I fully thought that maybe 7 different people ABSOLUTELY were responsible for the crime until I learned who actually did it (and that person was not one of my 7 guesses). Also, this book starts off with a map. Books that start out with maps are just good. It’s a fact. In case it’s not clear, I highly recommend this engrossing read and already need to see what mystery Iris and Alice will tackle next. Great read.

Review copy (ARC) courtesy of the publisher

ISBN-13: 9780593431115
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Publication date: 05/03/2022
Series: An Agathas Mystery #1
Age Range: 14 – 17 Years

Filed under: Book Reviews