I held off writing about this book since I wanted to send it to a friend and was afraid if I made it sound too good, she'd run off and buy it herself before her birthday! I enjoyed this mostly for the voice of the 11-year-old protagonist. The author doesn't use the irony of her age to dripping excess, as many writers would be tempted. But he does focus on her stubborn and inquisitive qualities. I especially liked her interactions with her older sisters. I'm not a huge fan of cosy mysteries, but I would read another book in this series (just not back-to-back).