Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher

Not a Detective Mysteries #2

by Katie Siegel

The déjà vu is strong for 25-year-old former kid detective Charlotte Illes when she lands back in Frencham Middle School – this time as a substitute teacher with a sideline in sleuthing – in the second zany mystery based on the much-loved TikTok web series from @katiefliesaway.

For fans of “Poker Face,” “Knives Out,” Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan Series, and anyone seeking to satisfy their Harriet the Spy, Encyclopedia Brown, or Nancy Drew nostalgia!

Mention “returning to the scene of a crime,” and people don’t usually picture a middle school. But that’s where kid detective Lottie Illes enjoyed some of her greatest successes, solving mysteries and winning acclaim—before the world of adult responsibilities came crashing in . . .

Twentysomething Charlotte is now back in the classroom, this time as a substitute teacher. However, as much as she’s tried to escape the shadow of her younger self, others haven’t forgotten about Lottie. In fact, a fellow teacher is hoping for help discovering the culprit behind anonymous threats being sent to her and her aunt, who’s running for reelection to the Board of Education.

At first, Charlotte assumes the messages are a harmless prank. But maybe it’s a good thing she left a detective kit hidden in the band room storage closet all those years ago—just in case. Because the threats are escalating, and it’s clear that untangling mysteries isn’t child’s play anymore . . .

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, LGBT, Humor, Mystery Thriller

310 pages, Paperback

First published July 23, 2024

About the author

Katie Siegel (she/they) is a former wannabe kid detective who eventually realized that writing mysteries was more fun than trying (and failing) to solve them. When she's not writing books, she’s either reading, listening to comedy podcasts, or playing TTRPGs with her friends. Online she’s at katiefliesaway.com, and offline she's in central New Jersey, which is real and exists.

Reviews

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wholesome, funny, lighthearted, and nostalgic cozy mystery starring a Gen Z (25-year-old) bi protagonist who's a former famous child detective a la Nancy Drew but not quite sure how to be an adult and still indulge her investigative tendencies. I think this book is doing a great job at what it's trying to do.

I liked:
- Entertaining banter with friend group!
- Very new adult and written for that audience -- I'm almost 40, so that audience is not me, but I'm glad the twentysomethings have this!
- Very funny in queer specific ways sometimes, with Gabe as the comic relief (I'm bi *and* trans, so they give me a discount on the queer newsletter, lol)
- Cheeky old fashioned chapter titles

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say I enjoyed this book more than the first one in the series. Charlotte Isles is still determined she is not a detective and in need of a day job she accepts substitute teaching at her old middle school where her best friend Lucy now works. Charlotte is determined to not be her 10 year old child detective self, but she can’t help but be drawn in when Lucy’s friend and co-teacher starts to get threatening letters telling her to quit. I loved that Charlotte worked with her friends no the mystery and then even got to mentor a small group of future detectives. I also loved that Charlotte got to relieve her old middle school and realize that her perspective then may not have been the whole picture and air vents are harder to navigate when you’re 25. The humor in this one was great, and I have to admit that I only got the mystery half right which is always fun for me. I hope this is the second of many books in this series.

[readingwithmissbec · Rating 4 out of 5]

The modern day Nancy Drew,
This book had great queer representation! I found the stories really funny! charlotte Illes is fantastic!

This story is very YA, fun and interesting, it’s definitely written in a way that will keep anyone that loves Nancy drew mysteries engaged!

I found, Gabe, Lucy and Charlotte a great trio and the side characters! Great fun, there really wasn’t a ‘plot twist’ as such, the book was written in a fun way that you wanted to keep reading to see how it ends.
I loved learning about the characters and the cases that childhood friends Lucy and Charlotte solved in their youth and how this affected Charlottes current case.

Charlotte Illes is not a teacher is about an armature detective who works as a substitute teacher and takes a case for a colleague … but will they solve the case.. is this story what you expected it to be. Things aren’t what they seem.

I enjoyed this story, I’d recommend it to Nancy Drew lovers!

Thankyou NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
Liked it more than the first book. The characters were fun and it was a pretty low stakes mystery like the last book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte Illes is Not a Teacher (CIINAT) is a hilarious sequel with a clever plot and great mystery.
There were many lines that had me laughing like:
"Intense vibes. I was torn between wanting to hide from her and asking her to do the cerulean monologue from The Devil Wears Prada"

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! I loved this book even more than the first! I feel like I can completely relate to Charlotte when she feels like she's falling hard into something (in her case detecting) and finds it hard to stop or draw the line. She is singularly focused and hilarious and a sweet and caring friend. There is a lot of amazing banter in this book, especially between the friend trio. I loved the descriptions of Charlotte returning to her middle school as a sub and all the interesting students she meets. The characters in this book are fabulous and vivid and kept me laughing and guessing. I was shocked by all the reveals and loved how open Charlotte was. I also appreciate how cozy this mystery especially was because there was enough personal emotional struggles that I wasn't worried about constant danger for Charlotte.

Note; I listened to the audiobook, which was fantastic and narrated by the author which I especially love!!

Thanks to the publisher for a free ARC copy of this novel; my thoughts and review and my own.

[Ripley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlotte Iles is Not a Teacher is the 2nd book from social media personality, Katie Siegel.

“Charlotte is back at her old Middle School - this time as a substitute teacher. Charlotte is determined to stay away from any problems or issues that people have - no more cases for her. But she’s pulled back to help a fellow teacher and the teacher’s aunt.”

Charlotte was a female Encyclopedia Brown as a student and has continued as a young adult but there’s less novelty with this book than the first one. This story has a slow start. There are a lot of different parts to the mystery/incident and Charlotte and her friends tackle them one-by-one. There are some surprises at the end and Charlotte has to make some decisions.

Fans of the first book should enjoy this one.

[KP · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved the first book, you’re going to love this one. If you didn’t love the first book, I hate to be the one to tell you this (lol no I don’t) but your opinion is wrong.

Book two is so wonderful because we already know and love the three main characters and starting to read this story was like getting together with friends I haven’t seen in a long time. And then there’s new characters introduced and omg some of them are just so so so delightful - specifically a group of Lucy’s students but I can’t say more because no spoilers.

Prepare yourself for some fun, some feels, some nostalgia, and maybe even some well-deserved childhood regression with this book!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the first book in this series so I was excited to read the ARC for book #2. It follows amateur detective Charlotte taking a break from solving mysteries; until one falls into her lap at her middle school, where her sleuthing career started. It was great seeing her old friends again and their antics always make me laugh. It was a solid mystery book, albeit a little immature (simple?!) than her previous case she solved. It kept me entertained but I was expecting more.
All in all a solid read. I am looking forward to reading her next book in the series.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Tina Panik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The funny thing was, in that moment, she was confident that she’d solve the mystery. And she hadn’t thought twice about expressing it.”

This series is so great. I love the modern cozy mystery vibes and a main character who is really discovering herself. She’s relatable, and has the best supportive friends.

I really liked that we get more of a backstory on Charlotte as a kid detective. There are flashbacks to her time in middle school juxtaposed with her now being a substitute teacher there. It gives a lot of insight into Charlotte’s personality and why she has a hard time letting go of being a detective.

The mystery is well done and while the stakes are high, it still feels rooted in reality. People haven’t forgotten about Charlotte’s detective skills and when a fellow teacher needs her help discovering who is sending threats to her and her aunt, Charlotte can’t stay away. All of the supporting characters are also feel fully fleshed-out and bring so much to the story. I was so happy that Lucy and Gabe were back, and the dynamic between the trio is the best.

I hope we get more of Charlotte, especially with the subtle love interest! I’m looking forward to whatever she gets into next.

[Jenna (readinginjennaland) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte gets a job as a substitute teacher at Lucy's school. As Charlotte is learning the ropes. Another teacher confesses that she's been getting threatening messages telling her to quit or they will tell her secret. Kim says her Aunt is also receiving threatening messages to quit running for the school board. Charlotte decides to investigate with her two best friends.

This was such a fun captivating cozy mystery. No dead bodies. I devoured this book in one day. I loved the queer rep and the banter between friends. I hope there's more of this series and I can't wait to read more.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe not as good as the first book, or maybe better than the first in some ways, but still excellent. I still maintain that this series is the successor to Truly Devious. I love the relationships between the characters, whether Charlotte's friend group or her family, but also the interactions they all have with other characters in general.

[Danielle Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lol. I'm gonna need her to decide she officially wants to be a detective again. Her self-confidence needs some work. Also, she's a substitute teacher now with her bestie that's an actual teacher at the school.

Read by author. #booksin25

[Kaylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO FUN, fast paced, and light !!

[Ranjini Shankar · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounding up. I think I like this one more than the first. I loved the fun cozy vibes, the strong friendships, the flashbacks to kid detective Lottie. The mystery was slightly better this time around and I also think my expectations were in the right place.

Charlotte is now a substitute teacher at the same middle school she went to. When a fellow teacher starts getting threatening notes, she ends up getting roped in to helping her track down the blackmailer.

I liked the tension of Charlotte wanting to be a better version of Lottie. I’m not sure it’s as clear or nuanced as the author wanted it to be but I felt it and appreciated it. In general the mysteries still feel like kid detective mysteries but because I knew that going in, I wasn’t disappointed. I’ll definitely be sticking around for more in this series!

[Brittany]

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

Thank you to Katie Siegel for being such an excellent audiobook narrator - I had so much fun reading this via audio on Libro FM.

This was yet another goofy, laugh-out-loud mystery that continues Charlotte's revamped detective journey as an adult. Charlotte helps a teacher, Kim, find out who is sending threatening messages to her and her aunt Jennifer, who is running for the school board. I cackled when one of the notes literally just said "Stop," and Charlotte thinks, 'Okay, this is either about running for the school board or they were unsubscribing from a marketing email and it got re-routed to the wrong person.' (Also, I'm paraphrasing) Lmaooooo Katie, why are you such a goofball? It's absolutely delightful.

I loved that Charlotte was trying to avoid her cases becoming "work" by refusing to be paid for it. I appreciate the light commentary and parallel to our current gig economy, influencer culture, and the fact that almost everything can be monetized in 2024. Charlotte really doesn't want to become consumed by the detective stuff, and doesn't want it to be the only thing she's known for. It's hard to get away from the narrative people subscribed to when they knew you as a kid. Charlotte is literally at the place where most of her detective cases took place, so outrunning this past identity is seemingly impossible. She also wonders (so humanly if I may say) if she was a menace and annoying as a child, even though she thought she was generally loved/appreciated for her detective instincts, and if that remains the same today. Charlotte is actively overthinking if going into detective work is a “regression” of past behavior that brought so much attention.

The dynamic between Lucy and her mentor hit a chord with me, and I just love to project when reading, but that's what I love about books - the fact that they help us make sense of and name how it feels to be in this world. Anyway, Lucy tells herself that she has to stop "letting" certain things get to her (like how her mentor constantly criticizes and passive aggressively tells Lucy that she is teaching "wrong"), but I think it's a clear display of ageism and being "set in your ways" by Lucy's mentor instead. None of us are experts and none of us are done learning, so I hope no matter how old folks are, they can let others venture out on their own journeys, even if their decisions are different than what they would have chosen. We have to trust others, especially those younger than us, to navigate as they will, because no one wants to be the person stifling someone's creativity, hope, or discoveries. “You know, instead of trying to work ON Lucy, you could work WITH her.” I fucking love Gabe & how he tells Mrs. Hernandez exactly what we were all feeling 😭

Gabe's commentary on how hard it is to make and maintain friends as an adult was so tender, relatable, and REAL! He mentions how he was always surrounded by people as a kid, being part of a big Filipino family, and now, his circle has become much smaller (despite being an influencer with tons of followers). I felt that in my bones! How does Katie Siegel write such a silly, goofy cosy mystery and still weave in such tender conversations on new adulthood?! I love her your honor, she really gets the angst of growing up.

I appreciated how this book again showed how beautiful and close-knit Charlotte's found family is, highlighted so many queer kids (honorary mention to Wells & his kid Neil & their arc of their parent-child relationship🥹) and the openness they felt with each other and with the teachers at the school, and allowed Charlotte to work through her issues on being perceived as the kid detective, both in flashbacks and in the present.

I highly recommend this cosy mystery series to all!

Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Kensington and Edelweiss for my advance electronic copy, and Kensington and TLC book tours for my advance print copy. My opinions are my own.

Charlotte Illes never expected to end up back at Frencham Middle School. After all, her reputation during her tenure mainly involved getting caught breaking the rules as she pursued her dream--solving cases and mysteries. But now that she's adulting and still doesn't know what that really looks like for her (except that she does NOT want to be drawn back into the world of private investigating) she needs a job. How hard could it be to be a substitute teacher for a while? It turns out, harder than she thought. Plus, no sooner has she started then a mystery lands right in her lap when a fellow teacher confides that she's been receiving mysterious threats. As Charlotte is drawn back into the world of solving mysteries, can she find the culprit before things escalate out of control and someone gets hurt?

So many young adults find themselves in the same situation as Charlotte--done with school but not sure what they want to do in life. I appreciated how this was handled, with levity and realism. I also very much appreciated the strong LGBTQ+ rep. I dream and pray that the world will be welcoming enough that some day people can live who they are as openly as portrayed in this book (another heavy topic handled so very, very well in this book). As Charlotte and others figure out who they want to be, how they support each other also grows and evolves. I enjoyed the cleverness of the book, and would recommend it for YA readers and beyond.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

For this and other reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I had the pleasure of reading the ARC of Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective, so I was pumped that a sequel was available so soon after the first novel. (If you’d like to read my review of that book, click here.)

I do have to say that I enjoyed this cozy mystery much more than the debut novel! Even though I had issues with the first book, it had a lot of redeeming qualities that made me happy the character had returned! Charlotte is a “reformed” former child detective, ala Encyclopedia Brown or Trixie Belden, with nods to Nancy Drew, too. She’s bright and funny and openly queer, and despite her best efforts, mysteries just keep dropping into her lap.

The issues I had with the first book are not as apparent in the second volume, which, by the way, can be read as a standalone novel. You don’t have to have read the first book in order to enjoy this book. Because Charlotte, Lucy, and Gabe are all gainfully employed, I found the book much more realistic than the first.

This time around, Charlotte is a long-term substitute teacher for her old middle school, where her friend, Lucy works. A co-worker has been receiving anonymous threats, and with that, Charlotte is back on a case. There’s plenty of witty banter amongst the friends, actual sleuthing going on, and becoming mentors to some middle school kids.

I’m not going to rehash the plot but suffice it to say if you enjoy a cozy mystery with the nostalgia of all those children’s mystery series books, you’d probably enjoy this book, too.

[Lisa Ahlstedt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former child detective Charlotte "Lottie" Illes is back for more adventures. This time, she's succumbed to her friend Lucy's suggestion that she apply to become a substitute teacher at their old middle school. Lucy has taught there for several years and loves it. Charlotte is less than enthusiastic, but with no other job prospects on the horizon, she decides to give it a go. Once at the school, however, memories of her time there as both a student and renowned child detective come flooding back. Before long, one of the teachers asks for her help. She's been receiving anonymous letters telling her to resign from her teaching position. Charlotte has decided to give up her sleuthing once and for all, yet she can't resist the allure of a new mystery to sink her teeth into. With the help of her best friends Lucy and Gabe (who styles himself as a "Junior detective"), Charlotte activates her detecting abilities and starts questioning suspects and assembling clues. When another person also reveals they've been targeted by anonymous messages, Charlotte really gets behind the process of tracking down the culprit.

The book is another cute and gentle mystery with the dogged Charlotte and her band of buddies. There are plenty of funny moments and lots of LGBTQ+ positivity. The story is intersting also to see the steps this master "junior detective" has taken to solve present and past cases that have stumped those who are older (and supposedly wiser) than Charlotte.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, and though I enjoyed the first book, I thought this one was even better. Charlotte and co. continue to be funny together, and I appreciate that they often help quite a bit in solving the mysteries as well. This time, the mystery is set at a school, as Charlotte begins subbing at the school where her friend Lucy teaches. A school setting is rife with opportunities for mysteries, if you ask me, so I thought this was a great move on the author's part. I think part of why I enjoyed this one too is that while it is a mystery, for once it's a not murder. I think a cozy mystery is more cozy without the death, and there are tons of mysteries to be solved that don't have to involve murder! More of that, please.

This book felt a bit more streamlined, and the most over-the-top antics of her friends got toned down a bit, which I think helped the pacing as well. I realize they are young, in their mid-twenties, but some of their behavior read as too teen in the last book. They are still almost obsessively fixated on each others' dating lives, to an extent that would cause friction with my friends, but hey, they are young and a bit immature, and to be fair, I imagine some friend groups are centered around everyone's love lives.

A fun read, and if you liked the first book, you'll like this one too. (Side note - if this matters to anyone, this has one of the most realistic, though of course still fictionalized to fit the story, portrayal of teachers and teaching that I've even read. Siegel notes that most of her friends are teachers in the afterword, and that tracks.)

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free eARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher for reviewing purposes.

This is a great second installment in this series. We follow Charlotte Illes, former child detective a la Encyclopedia Brown or Nancy Drew, now a grown up millennial as she tries to survive life and gets back into mystery solving. Fair warning- this is very much a millennial coded book. I really enjoyed this mystery more than the previous installment- I found the integration of her friends into the story to be more natural (Charlotte is working as a substitute at the school where her best friend works), and even though I didn't remember a lot of the first book, this universe felt a lot more lived in. It's also fun to return to where Charlotte had a lot of middle school adventures and see her interact now as an adult with the vice principal who used to punish her for rule breaking while solving mysteries as a child. For those who don't usually enjoy child characters written in books- the middle schoolers themselves are not a huge part of the story, but they are well written and I thought they were a good part of the story.
I also felt like the details for solving this mystery made more sense when you put them together than the first book- kudos to the author for improving on the mystery part when the first installment felt so character driven. Overall, if you liked the first one and you're a cozy mystery fan, I think you'll like this one even better!

[Leane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophomore efforts are difficult to pull off for most series writers; however, I am happy to report that Siegel’s 2nd in her crisply fresh and delightful mystery series (See review of Charlotte Iles Is Not a Detective 2023) checks off all the right boxes—continuing with excellent CH development for Charlotte, former child detective now searching for her career path, and her best friends, middle-school teacher Lucy, and social media influencer, Gabe. This book has Charlotte joining Lucy at their old middle school as a substitute teacher, helping another teacher with a case of harassment, and dealing with their memories of middle school and Charlotte’s past and present relationship with the formidable vice-principal. Gabe, Landon, Charlotte’s brother, and Olivia, his girlfriend, all get involved and it is a dialogue-driven, LOL, page-turning adventure that also continues to explore their romantic lives and effortlessly include details of the 25-year-olds besties and their social life, sexuality (a mix), and ethnic diversity. Good procedural details and a twisty plot. Satisfactory ending leading us to a #3 in the series. RED FLAGS: Harassment; Stalking: Threat of physical Violence. Again, anyone in their adult years after college may especially want to pick this up. I think readers who like Lisa Lutz's The Spellman Files also full of endearingly quirky characters and LOL funny, also Jesse Sutano and Jane Pek.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unlike many reviewers, I didn’t enjoy this book by Katie Siegel. Charlotte Illes is a 25-year-old who became well-known as a girl detective when she was younger. Now, years later, she’s trying to become more adult-like and figure out what to do with herself.

I thought the premise sounded interesting but, instead, much of this book was off-putting for me. The characters are flat, unappealing, and childish. The hallmark of the book is supposed to be the humor, but there seemed to be very little of that as well. Charlotte, as a child, was often tolerated instead of reprimanded for her behavior. In my estimation, not a great way to raise a responsible adult.

Moreover, the writing isn’t compelling and I found it bothersome that the author always included the character’s race when introducing them for the first time. (she had long brown hair, white, and big blue eyes). Does the race of the character make a difference in the plot? So many things didn’t add up, including Charlotte’s lack of knowledge about social media – not too believable for someone her age – and the fact that not once did Charlotte and her cohorts ever consider reporting the disturbing and threatening events to the proper authorities.

As I started this book I didn’t realize it’s the second book in a series. But, I didn’t find that to be a detriment. However, I’m not sure I’ll read any more books by this author. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

[Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I get the feeling that Katie Siegel wrote some books for teens when Charlotte was called Lottie and got into big adventures at her middle school and high school by behaving like an amateur sleuth. The book alludes to this, but I have never read any of these books if they exist.

This is an adult-charactered book where she is now out of school but goes back to work at school to solve a mystery. Her friends from school are all still involved in the school in one professional manner or another.

This book reads like a preteen book even though it's about adults. and it's mostly about this group of kids that are almost all lgbtq affiliated and they're looking back on how they were not treated as openly as the current teens are treated in school. Although there's this mystery going on in the background, the entire plot is more about their sexuality and fluidity and regrets.

I really did not enjoy this book. It felt like a bait and switch on the subject/ storyline.

I don't have problems with lgbtq relationships in books or movies, I have problems when it doesn't feel like real life - when you feel submerged into an environment that isn't reality. I am sure there are probably many books where characters are in an environment where EVERYONE is in an lgbtq relationship of some kind, but that's going to resonate with a particular audience.

[Felecia · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved the first book in this series & was super excited when I learned there would be more. I so enjoyed this one! If you haven't read the first book, go do it now!! Charlotte is still trying to find herself & figure out adult life and is starting a substitute teaching job at the school where her best friend, Lucy teaches. Lucy asks her to consider putting on the detective hat (figuratively) again to figure out who is sending threatening letters to a fellow teacher & the teacher's aunt, the president of the local Board of Education. Charlotte is returning to the same middle school where she was student & some of the staff from that time are still around, making Charlotte's efforts to not relive her childhood detective days difficult.

I absolutely love these characters. The friendship between Charlotte, Lucy, & Gabe is real. They don't always agree & they love and accept each other anyway. The students introduced in this books are delightful & I want more of them! Charlotte's journey to accept herself and what she wants in life is wonderful. I love how I feel when I read these books.

The mystery is excellently paced, complex enough to keep you guessing, and just well done. I can't wait to read more of Charlotte's adventures!

Thanks to NetGalley & Kensington for the opportunity to read & review this title. The opinions here are mine alone & freely given.

[Abigail Pankau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte Illes is unsure what she wants to do. She wants to investigate mysteries, but she’s worried she’ll just regress to being child detective Lottie Illes, and she’s trying very hard to be an adult. For now, she’s going to try being a substitute teacher at her old middle school, but being there brings back memories of old cases. This isn’t helped when her best friend asks her to help find who’s behind blackmail letters to an ELA teacher and the teacher’s aunt, who’s on the school board. But Charlotte is very frustrated with the case because every suspect she looks at is soon ruled out, and she can’t figure out a reason why one person would threaten both women. But she also worries that this means she’s also never been good at detective work. Will Charlotte be able to solve the case? And be able to find balance with who she was and who she is now?

A super cute cozy mystery about a former child detective and her best buds solving mysteries in their 20s. The mystery is fun, and I really enjoy the friendships of the main characters as they deal with life and mental struggles (jobs, making new friends, anxiety, being somewhere on the spectrum, etc). This was a delightful read.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book of this new cozy mystery series, Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective (June 2023). This adventure has Charlotte substitute teaching at the same middle school that she once attended. She was once a childhood mystery solver and is still struggling to find how solving mysteries can fit in her adult world. This book feels like lower stakes as no one dies but it does allow for some great sleuthing and getting to know her side kicks better. Lucy is fantastic as her BF and Gabe is fun as well. And there is nice LGBTQIAP+ representation although no one is involved in romances at the moment.

The mystery involves threats made against a person running for the school board. They seem juvenile but are escalating. Charlotte relies on her friends to help her on stake outs and brainstorm with her as she tries to deduce the culprits. I like the series and am just wanting a little bit more to be fully committed to it. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review. (3.5 Stars)

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Formerly a child detective, twenty-five year-old Charlotte Illes is now trying to figure out what she wants to do as an adult. In addition to some detective jobs for a local (very attractive, but of course Charlotte doesn't view her that way...), her friend Lucy has gotten her a job as a substitute teacher. But was does Charlotte know about children? Although, we do get to see flashbacks of Charlotte working on cases in middle school.
Surprisingly, there are just as many mysteries in the school as there were when Charlotte was a kid (so it's a good thing at least one of her detective kits is still hidden around the school.) Of course, these mysteries are somewhat updated, involving bobbleheads and social media. And blackmail- at least that one is recognizable. In this case, threatening letters have been sent to one of the teachers as well as her aunt who is the president of the school board.
I did feel like the ending came a little bit out of nowhere but it was still a fun book and the children weren't just plot moppets, they had actual personalities. I hope we get to see some more of Nia (a budding child detective herself), in future books.