Reviews

The Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn

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mainebookworm22's review

4.0

This book was so much fun. I loved the story of young Aggie and Hector and how they worked together to solve the mystery. I also loved all the tie ins to the real Agatha's life. Marthe Jocelyn did a great job weaving her fictional story from the real life story of Agatha's childhood in Torquay. She gets bonus points for the great names of her characters and the many tie- ins to Agatha's works---"no book I'd ever read was narrated by a murderer." Perfect. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series and I already have the next one on order.

"You haven't said who died!" said Grannie Jane. "I'm trying to be patient, but, really, this is the most slipshod report."

"You have the look of someone who can gaze coolly into the face of death and come up smiling."

unchainedreader's review

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4.0

Aggie Morton is not your typical girl. She doesn't focus on the vain trifles that many of the other girls her age do. She finds herself in the middle of a murder mastery when she discovers the body of a friend's mother beneath the piano in the local dance studio. With the help of her grandmother Jane and her new friend Hector, she follows the clues and solves the mystery.

As an Agatha Christie lover, I was excited to receive access to this ARC from Netgalley. I loved how Christie's two biggest mystery solvers were involved in this tale. I appreciate that the tale wasn't written in Christie's typical style where she reveals clues but the readers must figure out those are clues for themselves. Because this tale was written from Aggie's point of view, readers recognize the clues along with her. I liked this style because it felt like readers were learning how Agatha Christie came to write mysteries the way she did.

lostinafairytale's review

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4.0

I think this pairs well with V.E. Schwab's City of Ghosts if you read them together over a rainy weekend. I could guess who the killer was pretty much right away, but it wasn't obvious and the twist was still throughly enjoyable.

knitterscasket's review

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

emilymlim's review

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

mybooksandkidsbooks's review

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Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: The Body under the Piano By Marthe Jocelyn and illustrations by Isabelle Follath

What a delightfully spooky mystery! The first in a sure to be wonderful series, The Body Under the Piano is your introduction to 12 year old Aggie. Witty, fun and exciting, this mystery reminds me of Nancy Drew or Harriet the Spy. I’d say this is good for 8-13 year olds as long as the younger ones don’t mind a little suspense. I love a strong heroine, and can’t wait for my little girls to read this and see their brave and clever selves reflected in this character. I am so grateful to have received this book from @tundrabooks!

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