Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: Peril At Owl Park: 2

Wowza! This was 1 of my most highly anticipated releases of this year. I loved the 1st book SO much. This 1 did NOT disappoint. It was AMAZING! It’s set from a few days before Christmas up until a couple days after the New Years. So reading it now made it even better-even cozier. The author is so descriptive in detail I could see everything perfectly in my head, smell it, & even taste it! All the snow, the fires to keep warm by, the house itself...just made me want to curl up under a blanket & not stop reading. Which is what happened last night lol I read the last 40% in 1 sitting. Didn’t go to sleep til way past 1. I couldn’t put it down! All the suspense, having to know what was going to happen, plus the enjoyment of just the book itself-impossible to stop reading. Aggie is visiting her newly married sister & her husband where they live called Owl Park. She brings her best friend, & best detective colleague Hector. They are joined this time by Lucy, Aggies cousin by marriage. Lucy got on my nerves many times. Lol but she is 10 years old, & also wanting to prove herself up again the great Aggie-so it’s realistic that she would-written so well. There’s a whole new murder mystery this time-Aggie just can’t seem to get away from it lol There’s a whole house full of suspects, & they’re all snowed in. These books are inspired by Agatha Christie, & the author said not only did she research her normal areas there as usual, but also other mysteries by other crime writers. If you look at the sources page in the back you can see all of the research & time she put in, & everything she did. It’s a ton. And it shows. When authors take the time for that, it really pays off. I also really appreciate it. I’ve never read a Christie book, but I know what some of them are about. So the nod to the great writer at the bottom of page 378 going into the next page-it made me smile. Full circle & all that. I think Agatha Christie would love these books. I can’t flipping wait for the next book. Like all the ones I love the most, I hope there are a TON more to come. I’m gonna need more than just a trilogy or something lol I highly recommend both books. Another absolutely beautiful cover by Isabelle Follath, along w/beautiful illustrations above every chapter heading too.💜

I greatly enjoyed the first book in this series, and purchased this sequel with Christmas gift card money. I'm glad that I did, especially since I got to read it right at the tail end of the year, while it was still seasonally appropriate. The English Christmas setting is delightful, and even though the mystery requires a significant amount of build-up and seemed slow to me at first, I found it very satisfying.This book is full of clever twists, historical charm, and strong character development for Aggie and Hector. I hope that this series will continue for many more books, and would recommend it to any historical mystery fan, especially those who like Agatha Christie and would enjoy a well-researched, imagined glimpse at her childhood. This is great for both children and adults, and aside from its murder theme, some non-graphic violence, and scenes of peril, it has no content concerns for younger children who are ready for a middle grade reading level.

I suppose this series could be called YA but this series so far is absolutely wonderful! Yes, children solve the crime but every detail echoes an Agatha Christie story. Not one detail is left unanswered as every clue is interwoven and solved. The second one in this series is written beautifully around a Christmas theme. Honesty, I can't recommend this series enough! Suitable for older children and adults as well.

From my 12 y/o daughter: Loved the book! Kept me on the edge of my seat! Surprising ending. Excited for Aggie to become an Aunt. Can’t wait t read the next one! ❤️