THE A&A DETECTIVE AGENCY

A notable disappearance leaves two young sleuths with a stirring and surprise-filled summer case.

Dr. Alistair Fairfleet is the aging chairman of the Fairfleet Institute, located in the fictional New England town of Northbrook, and a major investor in eighth graders Alex Foster and Asha Singh’s A&A Detective Agency. After Dr. Fairfleet vanishes during a solar eclipse on the kids’ first day of summer vacation, the young detectives receive a letter that includes four names of people connected to the institute: an archivist, a performing arts director, an art museum director, and a natural history museum curator. When Alex and Asha learn that these individuals also received letters with clues, it sends them into mystery-solving overdrive. In the weeks that follow, they encounter literal and metaphorical red herrings as they unearth clues and solve multilayered puzzles connected to the visual arts, Shakespeare, archaeology, history, and more. The winding plot drives the action and excitement, while an emphasis on the characters’ interactions provides relatable snapshots into the tensions that can arise in authentic relationships. Themes relating to morality, bias, and honesty are illustrated through the characters as well as the history the detectives unearth, leaving readers with a satisfying ending, several mysteries solved, and deeper questions to ponder about inheritance, cultural heritage, and record-keeping. Alex is cued white; Asha is Indian American, and there is some racial diversity in the supporting cast.

A complex, cinematic, and eclectic page-turner.