THE CASE OF THE SCARLET SNAKEBITE by Christyne Morrell
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I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher in order to write this review.
The publisher’s summary
In this middle-grade mystery, a twelve-year-old obsessed with Agatha Christie suspects every guest at her mother’s bed-and-breakfast of hiding secrets. That is until a real crime rocks the quaint B&B, and her mother is framed for it.
When the wealthy Willoughby family checks into her mother’s bed-and-breakfast for the weekend, Amber Adler is certain a crime is going to be committed right under their roof. And she should know – she’s read every Agatha Christie novel in the library and her father is a world-famous detective. Sure, Amber has made a few false accusations (and once got the SWAT team sent to her math teacher’s house), but this time, she’s positive that one of their guests is up to no good.
So it comes as no surprise to Amber when someone steals a priceless ruby belonging to the crotchety Willoughby patriarch. But what she didn’t expect was for her mother to be framed for it. Now, Amber must call on everything she knows about solving mysteries to find the stone and catch the real culprit before the family checks out– and learn that sometimes, people are the greatest mystery of all.
My recommendation
Morrell dives into the Middle Grade Mystery space with her signature quirky charm and character-rich storylines. Elementary schoolers will delight in the funny, indomitable Amber and root for her every step of the way, while an abundance of clues and a helpful “Suspect Tracker” in the back of the book invite readers to search for the motive, means, and opportunity of every colorful guest at the B&B. Highly recommend to MG Mystery fans!
Susan the Librarian 