The Sherlock Society
James Ponti
Aladdin
Published September 3, 2024
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About The Sherlock Society
In the tradition of Nancy Drew, four kids and one grandfather in Miami tackle a decades-old mystery in this first book in the action-packed and funny Sherlock Society middle grade series from New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award–winning author James Ponti!
Siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock take their last name as inspiration when choosing a summer job. After all, starting a detective agency has to be better than babysitting (boring), lawn mowing (sweaty), or cleaning out the attic (boring and sweaty). Their friends Lina, an avid bookworm, and Yadi, an aspiring cinematographer, join the enterprise, and Alex and Zoe’s retired reporter grandfather offers up his sweet aquamarine Cadillac convertible and storage unit full of cold cases.
The group’s first target is the long-lost treasure supposedly hidden near their hometown Miami. Their investigation into the local doings of famed gangster Al Capone leads them to a remote island in the middle of the Everglades where they find alarming evidence hinting at corporate corruption. Together with Grandpa’s know-how and the kids’ intelligence—plus some really slick gadgets—can the Sherlock Society root out the conspiracy?
My Review
This upbeat, fun mystery was a hoot to read. I really enjoyed the way that Ponti broke down the investigation into questions that each kid in the Society focused on answering. That gave everyone a role and helped create balance within the group. I also enjoyed Alex and Zoe’s grandfather. He was knowledgeable and entertaining without stealing the spotlight.
I liked the Florida setting, too. I’m not super familiar with the Everglades, but I’ve been there, so I had a grid for the kinds of scenes the story described. The bits of history about the city of Miami and South Florida added a nice touch to the book, too. There were things I knew and some new-to-me facts as well, which was great.
I’m super late to the party because this is the first book by James Ponti that I’ve ever read. His writing is really easy to read, and the characters—who are simple in a good way—did a great job chasing down clues and pushing the story forward. I liked this one a lot.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Representation
Yadi is Latine.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
None.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violent Content
Situations of peril. The kids discover a site where someone dumped chemicals that killed several animals.
Drug Content
None.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday
I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.
This has been high on my to read list, great review. Looking forward to getting to it soon.
Thank you! I hope you get to read this one soon. It’s so much fun. 🙂
Thanks for reviewing a MG mystery. It sounds intriguing.
It was my pleasure. This one was a fun read! 🙂
Two very positive reviews the same day. That’s a good sign. I think this book sounds like a lot of fun. I’ll be looking for this one. Thanks for your thoughts.
Yes! It’s a great sign. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to check it out. I’ve got to go back and read Ponti’s other books!
Well, it looks like James POnti’s books are making the MMGM rounds. Thanks for the review!
It’s funny how we sometimes get in sync. 🙂 I am eager to see what everyone else thinks about it.
I haven’t read anything by James Ponti either but am excited to read this one, especially after your review. I already have it on reserve at my library.
Yay! I’m glad the review added to your anticipation. 🙂 I hope the hold comes through quickly. 😀
I can’t wait to read this one as I’ve enjoyed almost all of the previous books by Ponti. The plot and characters have me hooked. Thanks for featuring your review on this week’s MMGM.
I definitely have to go back and read some more of his books. This one was a lot of fun to read. I hope you get to read it soon! Thanks, Greg. 🙂