PETSCAPADE: MYSTERY BOOK CLUB #1
Nadishka Aloysius
Paperback
(Nadishka Aloysius, Aug. 11, 2018)
A missing cat... Irate neighbours... Curious young investigators... If you love mystery stories in exotic settings, with a cast of vividly painted characters, and a twist at the end you will NEVER see coming... then this is for YOU... Five friends form the Mystery Book Club. However, what starts as a fun Saturday afternoon meet-up, soon develops into an investigation. Someone is stealing cats in the neighbourhood. Guided by the books they love, the friends search for the culprit. Will they be able to stay out of trouble? Will they catch the thief before he strikes again? Written in homage to the Enid Blyton mystery books, this story is set in Sri Lanka. It is a coming of age tale, and the youngsters learn to travel through an adult world of prejudice and social norms as they attempt to solve the mystery. This will also appeal to lovers of cozy mysteries and herald a new era of amateur sleuths. So arm yourself with your favourite mystery books, and get ready to knock on neighbours doors, as you hunt down a wily thief with these new friends... ***Includes Book Club Questions to be used after reading*** GOODREADS / KINDLE REVIEW by Brian Marshall A fun, engaging meow-done-it that will appeal to YA and Not So YA readers alike. The characters are people you want to spend time with, and yet each comes complete with flaws. The dialog is clever without feeling staged or forced. But what really impressed me about the book were two things. First off, I was happy to spend time in a world where kids DID something besides just posting endless selfies. Secondly, I was surprised by the story's depth and nuance; how authority figures, whether parents or policemen, were sometimes supportive and open-hearted, sometimes closed-minded instead. And when the mystery is finally solved, both reader and sleuths learn a valuable lesson: wrongdoing can result not from evil, but confusion and human failings. Here's hoping there's a sequel soon. Our cats are already getting antsy.