Pip Murphy

History, mystery, and a pair of twins are woven together into a fun and endearing read.

Agatha and Christie are twins, growing up in the 1920's, and each one is so different from the other. While one is out-going, the other prefers to be more alone. While one is into adventure, the other loves her books. But these differences only make them work that much better together, which is proven in this tale time and again. Their relationship, as well as the ones with those around them, are wholesome and warm. Yet, there's enough intrigue and secrets to make it exciting, too.

The author weaves in famous individuals, which readers may or may not already know (but this offers a great opportunity for them to discover them and learn more) and gives them personality along with a few, tiny bits of information. While this is set in the 1920's, it still keeps enough familiarity to grab modern kids and hold their interest. And the wonderfully done illustrations, which also stick to the time nicely, and it does a nice job at drawing into the time period, while keeping a story which grabs.

While the mystery itself is more of a simple one, it still isn't clear what's going on. Young readers will wonder what happened, while enjoying the two main characters and following them along as the girls try to figure out the answer.

This is a lovely read for those who have a good handle on their words but aren't quite ready for a full-fledged middle grade novel. And it's a great beginning to a new series.
I received an ARC through Netgalley.… (meer)