A review by marylannireads
Mystery at the Biltmore #2: The Classified Catnapping by Colleen Nelson

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

There is never a dull moment at the fancy high rise apartment building called the Biltmore in New York City. Elodie LaRue is lucky enough to live at the Biltmore, and while her art crime investigator parents are traveling the globe, Elodie is solving mysteries in her own backyard. A cat named Bijou is famous at the Biltmore, not only because of her late, wealthy human owner but also because Bijou is the star of a movie being filmed at the Biltmore. When Bijou is catnapped one day, though, Elodie is asked to investigate, and she must assemble as many clues as she can in order to bring Bijou back home before time runs out. This second in the Mystery at the Biltmore series follows the same primary protagonists as the first book. Elodie is front and center in this narrative, and her investigations happen alongside her best friend Oscar, who also lives in the building. Brief chapters and frequent, full color illustrations make the book well-suited to newer middle grade readers in both its length and its visual appeal. Each chapter focuses on a potential suspect in the case, and with so many red herrings, readers are kept guessing about the identity of the real thief until later in the book. While this is the second in its series, there is some benefit to having read the initial installment, but this novel can nevertheless stand alone, and the narrative is wrapped up nicely by the end. Fun and engaging, this is an entertaining addition to its series, and it is a strong selection for library collections for newer middle grade mystery readers.