The Detention Detectives

LoveReading4Kids Says

Discovering the dead body of your PE teacher might not seem the best start at a new school, but twelve-year-old Jonno sees it as a fantastic opportunity.

First, he can employ his detecting skills (all those evenings watching Morse and Miss Marple with Nanna Rosie put to good use), and if something like a murder doesn’t convince his parents to move back to their old town, nothing will. Despite his initial reluctance, he’s soon being assisted by two classmates, Star Wars obsessive Daniel, who has his own reasons for wanting the culprit found, and Lydia, the school’s hardest-nosed junior journalist.

It turns out that schools are ideal settings for murder mysteries, and Lis Jardine is an exiting new voice in the canon of authors brilliantly sending young readers sleuthing.

The Detention Detectives is cleverly plotted, the characters quirky but convincing, the action perfectly paced. It comes to a terrific climax, and the hint that Jonno, Daniel and Lydia will have further adventures and more crimes to solve.

Reviewed by Andrea Reece
Andrea Reece has spent almost her entire working life in children’s books, first as publisher, latterly as consultant, project manager and critic.
More reviews by Andrea Reece

About The Detention Detectives

Misfits and murder meet in this brilliantly fun new mystery series by debut author Lis Jardine. A perfect next read for fans of The High-Rise Mysteries, Anisha, Accidental Detective and Murder Most Unladylike.

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