Book Review: Missing Since Monday by Ann M. Martin

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Missing Since Monday by Ann M. Martin follows Maggie and her older brother when their father and stepmother leave on a long-delayed honeymoon, trusting the siblings to care for their four-year-old half sister, Courtenay. When Courtenay fails to come home from daycare one Monday afternoon, Maggie and her brother are thrust into a frightening mystery. With no adults around to help, they must piece together what happened and find a way to alert their parents before it’s too late. This standalone novel for readers ages eight to twelve was one I completely missed as a kid, but as an adult and a longtime fan of Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club  series, I couldn’t resist picking it up. The first chapter or two felt a bit choppy to me at first, but once the story found its footing, everything began to come together nicely . Because this is a short children’s book, the characters aren’t deeply developed, which is to be expected. That said, Martin does an excellent job conveying Maggie’...
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Book Review: The Codebook Murders (Oakwood Mystery, #4) by Leslie Nagel

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book review of the codebook murders by leslie nagel
The Codebook Murders (Oakwood Mystery, #4) by Leslie Nagel is the latest installment of the Oakwood Mystery book series. During a summer storm, Charley Carpenter takes cover in a tunnel underneath Oakwood High School and discovers a journal written in code. With it linked to the most infamous cold case in the city, can Charley crack the code to prove Carter's innocence in the death of his girlfriend Regan once and for all?

Each book in this series keeps getting better and better, and I think The Codebook Murders is my favorite yet. I couldn't wait to see how everything came together and if I was correct in my reasoning of who murdered Regan. There were quite a few red herrings, which I loved because it kept me on my toes and had me second guessing myself at every turn. Because of this, it did take me a while to figure out who the culprit was. I also enjoyed knowing that several of the places mentioned in the book are real life locations. It makes me want to explore the area the next time I visit.

Although this book is technically a cozy mystery, it reads much better than most of the other books in this genre. I sincerely hope that Leslie Nagel writes additional books in this series because I have absolutely fallen in love with several of the characters. The author does a great job with the character development and has them maturing.

Five out of five stars is what I gave The Codebook Murders (Oakwood Mystery, #4) by Leslie Nagel. If you enjoyed this book, I recommend The St. Valentine's Day Cookie Massacre by Elisabeth Crabtree.


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