Book Review: The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

Publisher’s description

In the tradition of Nancy Drew, four kids and one grandfather in Miami tackle a decades-old mystery in this first book in the action-packed and funny Sherlock Society middle grade series from New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award–winning author James Ponti!

Siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock take their last name as inspiration when choosing a summer job. After all, starting a detective agency has to be better than babysitting (boring), lawn mowing (sweaty), or cleaning out the attic (boring and sweaty). Their friends Lina, an avid bookworm, and Yadi, an aspiring cinematographer, join the enterprise, and Alex and Zoe’s retired reporter grandfather offers up his sweet aquamarine Cadillac convertible and storage unit full of cold cases.

The group’s first target is the long-lost treasure supposedly hidden near their hometown Miami. Their investigation into the local doings of famed gangster Al Capone leads them to a remote island in the middle of the Everglades where they find alarming evidence hinting at corporate corruption.

Together with Grandpa’s know-how and the kids’ intelligence—plus some really slick gadgets—can the Sherlock Society root out the conspiracy?

Amanda’s thoughts

I love a middle grade mystery. I don’t really gravitate toward adult or YA mysteries, but give me a middle grade one and I’m settled for a few hours, desperate to know what happened. And I love James Ponti. He really gets what kids want—lots of action, lots of intrigue, and really great characters.

I love that because their lawyer-mother intervenes and says to her children Alex and Zoe, along with their friends Yadi and Lina, that they can’t just put up flyers offering to do detective work (for all kinds of legal reasons), they pivot to trying to solve some of Alex and Zoe’s grandpa’s lingering mysteries from his days as a journalist. This means instead of looking for lost pets, they’re now doing things like looking for Al Capone’s lost treasure. Thanks, mom!

Under grandpa’s tutelage, they learn how to investigate by looking at who, what, where, why, and when. And thanks to his many connections, and their own really good brainstorming skills, they are able to make lots of headway as they look for Capone’s treasure. But along the way, they discover another mystery, one that maybe stands a better chance at being solved, though still will require a LOT of detective work. Thankfully, the kids are smart, determined, and tech-savvy. They’re also brave (so brave!) and really clever. They get people talking, they follow leads, and they just may get to the bottom of their mystery. Full of peril, twists, and satisfying discoveries, this start to a new series will leave readers clamoring to read the next book, especially when they reach the ending and learn of a new clue pointing toward Capone’s missing money. A fantastic fast-paced environmental mystery with wide appeal.

Review copy (ARC) courtesy of the publisher

ISBN-13: 9781665932530
Publisher: Aladdin
Publication date: 09/03/2024
Series: The Sherlock Society #1
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

Filed under: Book Reviews