LIBBY AND THE MANHATTAN MYSTERY

 

by JO CLARKE; 

                              

                                                        

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my weekend Book Review featuring this week an Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction. PLUS a free selfie of me doing amazing hard . . . . nothings. 

Before we get going I'd like to announce the winner of a copy of LT Shearer's first book, The Cat Who Caught a Killer, is Lynn, from the Precious blog. Lynn, if you'll leave Mrs H a separate comment with your postal address (we wont publish the address), we'll try to get your gift out to you ASAP.

 

OK, so with out further ado, here's the review!

 

AUTHOR: Jo Clarke    

 

Cover and Interior art by: Becka Moor

 

Published by: Firefly Press

 

Publication date Paperback: 

 

 

Paperback ISBN:  978 1 915 444 394 

 

EBOOK ISBN:   978 1 915 444 400

UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99

 

Pages: 219

 

Age range:   9 upwards

 

 

SPOILER ALERT

YES. Some as to plot direction and characters.

 

 

Thank you to... 

 

We are exceedingly grateful to FIREFLY PRESS Publishers for giving us advance viewing so we can Read & Review this latest in series mystery adventure, just for you. 

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, been given as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review. 

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy. 

The plot

 

Here is a quick recap of the back story... Libby is a pupil at a rather unique school that visits a different country each term. Libby's aunt, Miss Agatha Mousedale, happens to be in charge of the school. The previous term had been spent in Edinburgh, and Libby and her best friend, Connie, had solved a fiendishly clever art crime under Connie's parent's very roof. That was quite a Christmas adventure, so do read our review of Libby and the Highland Heist, HERE.

With Christmas and winter out the way, Libby, Connie and Aunt Agatha arrive in New York for a new term. Leaving the airport, they are surprised when Connie's godmother and famed actress, Eloise, awaits in her chauffeur-driven limousine. Just as they pull away, Eloise picks up Count Alvarez, whose cab has been held up. They drop him off in a run-down area beside a blacked-out building. And despite having urgent business, he seems reluctant to go in. When Libby takes pictures of the buildings and area, she notices a blonde-haired lady in sunglasses watching them, but when she tries to get close, she drives off at speed. 

 

Suspicions are kindled but put aside quickly as Libby and Connie settle into a new school building and bedroom on the top floor. Libby thinks only she and Connie are sharing, but they are soon joined by Anastasia, who is quite brash and seems boastful of having been to NY many times and knows all the best places. Libby is not amused and feels instantly pushed out as Connie and Anastasia bond instantly, and she is without a pal.

Another new face is Miss Khatun, a replacement teacher who seems very strict and stern and unusually keen on not letting Libby and her friends have fun on their own.  

The students get to journey around NY in various arranged and escorted activities, and in so doing, also bump into Eloise and the Count. But something is wrong with the Count, who seems to mix up where he is from. Is it a mere mistake? And was the blonde-haired woman they see whilst in Central Park the same as the one before and following them or associated with the Count?

When Libby follows the Count to return his dropped handkerchief, he vanishes into the hotel basement. It turns out the hotel, the same one in which Eloise lives, is no longer his home, and the management is keen to speak to him about a specific matter.

One thing leads to another, and coincidences and suspicions mount. Libby and Connie join forces, dodging Anastasia, and, along with the boys, investigate what the Count is up to. But they must still persuade Aunt Agatha to let them go places and then escape Miss Khatun. When the Count loses all the funds he has raised for a local charity, Eloise steps in to organise and host a charity auction featuring famous and very expensive jewellery.

 

That, dear readers, is where I shall leave this review. I hope I have given you sufficient clues about what will come. Suffice it to say, things and people are not what or who they seem. And if you throw in an old adversary or two, and some surprise revelations about Libby's parents, you have a recipe for lots of fun and guessing.

So, what did we think?

 

****Spoiler alert**** Don't read on if you don't want to know more! 

 

In this third and definitely best adventure yet, we get embroiled in a plot that brings hints and flashes of adult adventure movies of past and present. With chases (through kitchens and train stations), heists, good guys and bad, and some scary underground shenanigans, there is a hearty Big Apple tang for the young mind to sink its teeth into and enjoy. 

 

It is hard to show everything and every angle to life in NY in such a short and pacy story, but I loved the potted vibe and taste of NY that Jo achieved. 

 

In many respects this seems like a concluding book, with many threads being drawn and tied together. But, here's the thing, in so doing, it opens out once more and the next adventure is already on the cards. As to who will feature and where it will be set, I'll let the reader find out for themselves. It does promise a lot though...

 

So . . . . 

Crunch time. 

 

This is a must-have for fans, who I firmly believe won't be disappointed.

I'll be there ready and waiting to review this for you. I have it earmarked with the publishers to get a copy ASAP. 

 

Want to buy a copy?

To get a copy, and you don't have to be in NY to do so, take the Subway, tram, bus or plain walk to your local bookstore. There are plenty out there, and each shop is just waiting to serve up whatever kind of mystery, fun and adventure you desire.

 

JO CLARKE'S WEB page can be found HERE or type this: https://jo-clarke.co.uk 

 

FIREFLY PRESS'S web page can be found HERE. or type this https://fireflypress.co.uk/

 

BECKA MOOR'S web page can be found HERE.  or type this: https://beckamoor.com

 

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue in America.

 

Mrs H came in and wanted to lay down for a bit. Taking one look she proclaimed with a huff "Take the whole bed up, why don't you!" Which was a very kind offer, so I did. I did acquiesce in the end and off a slither to one side, legs hanging off the edge as well as the pillow space. 

 

Sometimes my generosity knows no bounds!

Till laters!

ERin