Blurb:
Meet the Nancys…
Tippy Chan is eleven years old, and she lives in a small town in a very quiet part of New Zealand – the town her Uncle Pike escaped as a teenager, the moment he got a chance. Now Pike is back with his new boyfriend Devon to look after Tippy while her mum is on a Christmas cruise.
Tippy can’t get enough of her uncle’s old Nancy Drew books. She wants to be Nancy and is desperate to solve a real mystery. So, when her teacher’s body is found beside Riverstone’s only traffic light, it looks like Tippy’s moment has arrived. She and her minders form The Nancys, a secret detective club.
But what starts as a bonding and sightseeing adventure quickly morphs into something far more dangerous. A wrongful arrest, a close call with the murderer, and an intervention from Tippy’s mum all conspire against The Nancys. But regardless of their own safety, and despite the constant distraction of questionable fashion choices in the town that style forgot, The Nancys know only they can stop the killer from striking again. Whatever the cost…
Review:
I’ve heard so many great things about The Nancys And The Case Of The Missing Necklace so I’m glad to finally be able to read it. I will admit that it did take me some time to adapt to the style and become immersed in the story, but once I did, I grew to love the characters, the humour and the roller coaster ride of a story.
The protagonist of The Nancys And The Case Of The Missing Necklace is Tippy Chan. She is our first person narrator and it was interesting to see the Nancys’ investigation from the perspective of a younger person. This obviously raises questions about whether her view is reliable but she is absolutely wonderful. There are several layers to her character and I loved peeling them back. She’s intelligent and fun, but she’s also incredibly vulnerable, and it was a pleasure to get to know her. Tippy is surrounded by a number of colourful characters, including (but definitely not limited to) her Uncle Pike and his partner, Devon, her best friends Sam and Todd and her next door neighbour’s granddaughter, Melanie. I love the way they bring Tippy out of her shell, but also learn things about themselves over the course of the story.
The plot of The Nancys And The Case Of The Missing Necklace is more than just a crime investigation. Whilst the investigation is brilliantly written and an absolute joy to follow, I also loved the author’s exploration of issues such as grief, homosexuality and friendship, which meant the novel also resonated with me on an emotional level.
I can’t wait to catch up with the Nancys again soon!
The Nancys And The Case Of The Missing Necklace is available from Amazon.
