Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum

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But readers will definitely enjoy following her lines of thought and puzzling over the clues she finds. There are many reasons I could recommend this title, the illustrations from Claire Powell which bring it to life […] The way that Alasdair Beckett-King appears to so effortlessly be able to make me laugh at the hilarious dialogue and story line.

This career choice met with the same response as had the suggestion of being a stand-up comedian - a deep sigh. The illustrations by Claire Powell make the book feel more like case notes and they also support the reader by providing maps, suspect snapshots and clues. With the assistance of her accomplice/grandpa and despite a long-suffering rivalry with the local police inspector, she whittles down the suspects and at one point engages in a battle of wits with a parrot. Bonnie is on vacation at Odde Island with her Grampa, when she hears of the death at the lighthouse. I really loved this as it was the perfect follow on from Alasdair Beckett-King's first Montgomery Bonbon novel.

Bonnie becomes Montgomery Bonbon and with her grandad sets out to solve the mystery of this highly suspicious set of events. Alasdair Beckett-King has created a brilliantly crafted, clever and funny character with rich storylines that have this Bookwagon reader retracing to enjoy anew, and try to match Bonbon’s deductive skills. There are several suspects, a few cryptic clues, and a grumpy police investigator who doesn't want them anywhere near the case. Before they went to Herriet's house, i was thinking that after Bonbon would discover the poisonous flower she will actually ask her the critical questions: who else knows about it?

I didn't like to much the beginning - I mean, the main character and her sidekick are presented as an already active investigation couple and that backstory didn't get me too much - but I love the story path, other characters' developments, and - yes - also the finale. The plot employs red herrings and twists with well-planned precision, suggesting that ABK knows the mystery genre well. Claire Powell’s illustrations bring so much personality to the characters and elevate Montgomery Bonbon from a brilliant mystery to an iconic character.The characterisation is brilliant, Alasdair has created an original and intriguing cast of characters who you can't help but love. Bonnie Montgomery is finally getting a holiday from cracking cases as her alter-ego, Montgomery Bonbon, when something terribly fishy happens the moment she and Grampa Banks arrive on Odde Island – and it's not just the smell of the harbour. In the darkness, Bonnie retrieves a raincoat from her backpack, adjusts her beret and sticks on a false moustache. Beckett-King's other creative stuff but judging by the reaction of my grand-children ( the age group for which it is intended ) it is a very successful piece of writing.

It's a strong series opener, with no padding and flannel to get us up to speed – as I say we're straight in to high drama from page one. We are first introduced to Bonnie Montgomery when she visits the local museum with her Grampa Banks. This is a really great murder mystery which is fun because you can try to work out who the murderer is as you read the book. Murder at the Museum is a thoroughly enjoyable start to what I hope will be a long series featuring the eccentric detective and adults who remain clueless that a little girl with a false moustache and raincoat has a better success rate at solving crime than the local constabulary. It is however still difficult to believe such a young child could solve a murder - or that a murder is really understandable to the magnitude it would likely need to be to solve it at the ripe age of 10!It also has a lot of heart, largely owing to Grandpa, but also because Bonnie is a really likeable main character - quite often young detectives tend to be irritating and entitled but Bonnie wasn't at all. Montgomery Bonbon begins to take statements from the suspects and gather evidence before following a few clues that have been left behind to try and solve the mystery. Since Dana realised Bonnie’s alter ego, Bonnie has been avoiding her, but evidently none too subtly.

From the outset when her cheese and onion crisps cause a stir upon entry over the causeway, there are problems.Sometimes detective stories for children may come across as being a bit bland, but this one is definitely a fun-filled read. You can certainly tell this book has been written by a comedian with the jokes, sarcasm, one-liners, and witty moments that fill the pages. This is the second children's book from Beckett-King, following on from Murder at the Museum, and I loved it too.