Mystery & Mayhem, The Crime Club

Pages: 300

Publisher: Egmont

Release Date: 5^th May 2016

Edition: UK paperback, review copy

Twelve dastardly crimes have been committed…

They seem impossible…

But can you solve them?

The twelve stories in this collection contain murder, mayhem, poison and plot, dognapping, safe-breaking, sabotage and biscuits.

Only the intrepid young detective – and the reader – can crack the cases and save the day. Are you up to the Crime Club challenge?

As soon as Mystery & Mayhem was announced I knew it was one for the TBR and it definitely lived up to expectations – I loved it!

This is the perfect collection to dip in and out of on a lazy Saturday and that’s exactly what I did! The variety in these stories just makes it a delight – the setting, the time period, the crime – I was definitely kept on my toes. But it’s also a really quick and easy read and I think Mystery & Mayhem is the perfect choice for a reluctant or less confident reader. It’s hard to stop turning the pages! Though I loved all twelve stories, I did have a few favourites:

‘The Mystery of Diablo Canyon Circle’ by Caroline Lawrence

I was so surprised by how much I loved this one! Darcy and her family have moved from England to a small California town. It’s scorching hot, coyotes are on the prowl and a dog from their neighbourhood is missing. Darcy takes up the case and ends up finally meeting and making friends with her neighbours in Diablo Canyon. It’s so much fun! Plus, the three kids in the family are called Darcy, Heathcliff and Rochester. Amazing.

‘Mel Foster and the Hound of the Baskervilles’ by Julia Golding

Mel lives at the Monster Residence in London with a house of monsters, including Eve Frankenstein who was made by Frankenstein’s monster himself! Set in Victorian England, Mel and Eve take up the case of the returning Hound of the Baskervilles after the original is dispatched by Sherlock Holmes. This story was funny and clever and I’ll definitely be looking into the series about Mel.

‘The Murder of Monsieur Pierre’ by Harriet Whitehorn

When Angelica arrives at the hairdressers she works at and finds her boss, Monsieur Pierre, dead, she immediately starts trying to figure out what happened. She soon starts to notice things and make connections that the policemen doesn’t and becomes his assistant, solving the crime in the end! I loved Angelica!

All of the stories in this collection feature children and young teenager who are ignored by adults but then triumph over them by solving the mystery and it's so fun to read! I loved this collection and I’m desperately hoping for another in the near future.

Thanks to Egmont for the review copy.

Sophie