About the Book
That’s ever.
Living in the luxurious Arcanum building—with its interior balconies perfect for playing tag, an elevator like an iron birdcage, and quirky neighbors behind every apartment door—has always been fun and games for twelve-year-old Minerva Keen…until her neighbors start getting poisoned. Anyone could be next, and everyone is a suspect, including Minerva herself.
To clear her name and help the police crack the case, Minerva starts her own detective club. So what if it has only two other members, one being Minerva’s accident-prone daredevil brother and the other being the biggest and quietest kid in school, who happens to be afraid of his own shadow? Minerva knows that with her brainpower, the club’s sleuthing skills, and case files full of suspects, they can unmask the poisoner…hopefully before it’s too late.
This page-turning new mystery series is packed with thrills, chills, laughs, and unforgettable characters and will leave kids eager to join the best club around.
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eARC (Courtesy of Publisher and TBR and Beyond Tours), Hardcover (Courtesy of Publisher) and Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: JIMMY Patterson Books
James Patterson’s books are always great reads, and his latest middle-grade release with Keir Graff Minerva Keen’s Detective Club is no exception. Headstrong, intelligent and humorous young detective Minerva Keen takes on a new mystery as people in her apartment building start dying, and she’s determined to find out what’s going on. If you want a kid-friendly book with Only Murders in the Building vibes, I think this would be a great choice.
The book is filled with relatable characters. Minerva is super chatty and smart, and she has a quirky group of friends and family surrounding her. I particularly enjoyed little brother Heck’s character, and the exasperation Detective Taylor displays when he deals with Minerva’s near constant presence in the investigation. For audiobook fans, it’s worth noting that narrator Lauren Fortgang did an excellent job bringing Minerva’s character and personality to life with her performance in the audiobook.
Despite being older than the target audience, I enjoyed the childish humor in the book, with various fart and burp related jokes making an appearance. I also enjoyed the relatable middle-school problems that Minerva faces; making friends, recruiting members for her debate club, and dealing with her absent minded babysitter while her parents are away. On a separate note, the mystery of the story was fun to puzzle out; lots of red herrings and twists and turns until a surprise at the end of the book. The case files/notes that Minerva narrates periodically were helpful to keep track of things, and added a fun spin to the book.
Overall, Minerva Keen’s Detective Club was an entertaining read. It’s a great book for young readers who enjoy a good mystery, but I think it has the potential to appeal to older readers as well. It was a great start to the series, and I’m excited to get to read more about Minerva’s adventures in the future.
Thank you to the authors, the publisher jimmy patterson, the team at TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review the book immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed Minerva Keen’s Detective Club. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.
About the Authors
James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author. Among his creations are Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Michael Bennett, and Maximum Ride. His #1 bestselling nonfiction includes Walk in My Combat Boots, Filthy Rich, and his autobiography, James Patterson by James Patterson. He has collaborated on novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton and has won an Edgar Award, nine Emmy Awards, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Keir Graff is the author of funny and fantastical middle-grade adventure novels including The Tiny Mansion,The Phantom Tower (a Chicago Tribune Best Children’s Book), and The Matchstick Castle (an official Illinois Reads selection). He also writes books for grown-ups—some of them under fake names! A longtime resident of Chicago, he lives near the shore of Lake Michigan with his wife Marya, sons Felix and Cosmo, and cats Toothless and Totoro.
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