Tag: Friday Barnes

REVIEW: Big Trouble by R. A. Spratt

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Kid detective, Friday Barnes, is back with plenty of mysteries to solve. First is the disappearance of her own mother. Then the series of thefts at her boarding school. Then there’s the voice in the attic, the secret stash of diamonds and the lacrosse shed fire. There’s rarely a dull moment when Friday is around and there’s a mystery to solve!

Review

Such a fun series! I love Friday. She’s brilliant and funny. Her family situation is heart-breaking, but I love the little family she is building for herself at school. This is book 3 in the series.

The mysteries seem non-stop in this book. Something weird happens then something goes missing. Then someone gets accused of something. The story has a lot of energy with so many things happening so quickly.

I love getting to think through all the different mysteries. It makes me feel like I am really getting my money’s worth out of a book to have so many puzzles to try to solve!

The author has done a great job in past books to leave a major cliffhanger for the reader. This book is no exception. I finished and then grumbled because I have to wait several months to see how the author will wrap up this cliffhanger!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

I love these books! This is an excellent series for young mystery fans. The books don’t have to be read in order, but it helps so the reader can see the evolution of the characters and their relationships with one another. You can read my review of book one here.

REVIEW: Friday Barnes, Girl Detective by R. A. Spratt

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Friday is a bright, bored middle schooler who puzzles out the solution to a bank robbery. The reward money lets Friday buy her way into a prestigious boarding school. While there, Friday uses her powers of observation and her crazy-high IQ to tackle some mysteries at her new school, too.

Brilliant Middle School Detective

Review

Wow, I liked this book! My first criteria for a “good” book is always the main character. Friday clicked for me from the start. Her family situation endeared her to me. But Friday handles her family’s quirks so matter-of-factly, I didn’t pity her.

Next, since this was a mystery, I needed the “cases” to be good. Friday is a bit Sherlockian in her methods and her brilliance. I didn’t feel like it was my job to solve the mystery before her. I didn’t have enough information. So instead I just got to sit back and watch Friday do her thing.

The thing I noticed most about this book, though, was the fast, snappy writing. It’s like watching an episode of The West Wing – part of you knows that there’s a wordy-ness to the writing. But at the same time the words are essential – no fluff. They are establishing a fast pace to every scene. The words are sharp and clever. I think this would be a fun story to read out loud.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

If this sounds like a good read for you – or someone you love – be sure to have book 2, Under Suspicion, handy because this one ends on a cliff hanger. Books three and four are coming in 2017 and are pictured below.