2016 book 193

Jordan Stratford's The Case of the Missing Moonstone
I borrowed this first book in the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series (which features young Ada Lovelace and young Mary Shelley solving crimes together--an author's note does explain how this is historically inaccurate in every way, but sure) from a local almost-nine-year-old. She told me, "I solved the mystery pretty early on, so I bet you will too, but it's a good story anyway." Thank you for your confidence in my detective skills, local child! Anyway, she was right--the mystery is not at all hard to figure out, but this is a fairly enjoyable story--perhaps more for almost-nine-year-olds than thirtysomethings, though. Like as an adult, I thought it was creepy that Percy Shelley is the tutor of the girls here (Mary has been aged down, but he has not)--although their future marriage isn't mentioned, an adult obviously knows about it and can't help but be weirded out. I guess in the end (and because of the end!) I was more annoyed by the (many) historical inaccuracies than charmed by a pair of girl detectives. B.