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A review by annieb123
The Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn
4.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Body Under the Piano is the first book in a new series for middle grade readers by Marthe Jocelyn. Due out 4th Feb 2020 from Penguin Random House on their Tundra imprint, it's 334 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.
This is such an appealing and well written Agatha Christie homage. Agatha "Aggie" Morton is a precocious 12 year old helping to right the wrongs of her Edwardian world along with her friend, young Belgian refugee Hector Perot. She's intelligent and observant, outspoken and loyal. The illustrations by Isabelle Follath add the perfect amount of whimsy and support the story well.
I haven't seen any definite comparisons with the delightful Flavia de Luce novels by Alan Bradley, but this one will appeal to fans of Mr. Bradley's work. It's not quite as wonky and blackly humorous, and it's written for a younger audience, but it rang the same bells for me.
A delightfully diverting read and one which I heartily recommend for everyone, not just younger readers.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
The Body Under the Piano is the first book in a new series for middle grade readers by Marthe Jocelyn. Due out 4th Feb 2020 from Penguin Random House on their Tundra imprint, it's 334 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.
This is such an appealing and well written Agatha Christie homage. Agatha "Aggie" Morton is a precocious 12 year old helping to right the wrongs of her Edwardian world along with her friend, young Belgian refugee Hector Perot. She's intelligent and observant, outspoken and loyal. The illustrations by Isabelle Follath add the perfect amount of whimsy and support the story well.
I haven't seen any definite comparisons with the delightful Flavia de Luce novels by Alan Bradley, but this one will appeal to fans of Mr. Bradley's work. It's not quite as wonky and blackly humorous, and it's written for a younger audience, but it rang the same bells for me.
A delightfully diverting read and one which I heartily recommend for everyone, not just younger readers.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes