A box full of murders by Janice Hallett

I love murder mysteries, and this is a fabulous example for kids! In this intriguing story siblings Ava and Luke work together to unravel a historical crime mystery. Ava and Luke live ‘separated’ lives, each living with a different parent following a marriage separation, but they communicate by text all the time in their own private group chat in order to stay connected. A discovered ‘Top Secret’ box in the attic at Luke’s house leads them to discover a mystery that took place at a Scouting Campsite in 1983 - a historical era for the two children. Slowly they unravel the clues from the past but it leads them into danger in the present as well. Can they find a murderer even though more than 40 years have gone by? And can they do it without their parents finding out?

This is a charming child-friendly tale that young readers will love, written by an author who has written crime books for adults. It is told through the text exchanges between the 11 and 10-year-old siblings and the documents gathered from the Scout Camp records (the campers wrote diaries and incident reports; the police reports and media reports are also included). This variety of text types adds an intriguing touch to the unfolding mystery. There is also an environmental mystery threaded through the story. Technology, language use and musical references from the deep past - the 80s, adds an amusing layer for those ‘in the know’, but young readers will just be introduced to this period of history in a light-hearted way. The scout camp experience from the past is also revealed. With a clear indication that this might be only the first of the mystery-solving adventures for Ava and Luke, this will be a book to get into the hands of readers aged 9-12 to introduce them to a new series.

Themes: Murder mystery, 1980’s, Scouts and Guides, Rare birds, Environmental issues.

Carolyn Hull