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Potkin and Stubbs
(Potkin and Stubbs #1)
by
In the corrupt metropolis of Peligan City, Lil Potkin, a determined young reporter, is on the lookout for a scoop. One rainy night she meets Nedly, the ghost of a boy that no one else can see. Nedly has been looking for someone to believe in him ever since the investigation into his disappearance went cold. When they discover that his death is connected to a series of myst
...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
March 7th 2019
by Piccadilly Press
(first published March 2019)
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Start your review of Potkin and Stubbs (Potkin and Stubbs #1)
The best way to describe this would be middle grade Noir-esque mystery with a setting reminiscent of Gotham City. I loved it!
Lil is a wannabe reporter waiting for her next big scoop - and boy does she get one when a boy appears in her bedroom one night with a missing person's case. Who is the missing person? Well, he is! He's dead, and he has no idea what happened to him or his body. Lil, surprised by having a new ghostly sidekick called Nedly, joins forces with an ex-police investigator named A ...more
Lil is a wannabe reporter waiting for her next big scoop - and boy does she get one when a boy appears in her bedroom one night with a missing person's case. Who is the missing person? Well, he is! He's dead, and he has no idea what happened to him or his body. Lil, surprised by having a new ghostly sidekick called Nedly, joins forces with an ex-police investigator named A ...more
i LOVED this and there's MORE hell yeah
...more
Absolutely loved this, a new MG fave! Full review to come.
Sep 17, 2020
Katherine
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
owned-on-kindle
A really fun, fast paced read. I can't wait for more adventures with this duo!!
...more
I just finished the 1st Potkin & Stubbs book, & WOW. The hype is justified! I am so blown away. This is my perfect MG detective/mystery story. This story just grabs you & doesn’t let go. I was engrossed in the book from the very beginning, & there was no point where that changed at all. It is amazingly spooky & awesome. The author is an awesome story teller for sure. I just loved it, & am so excited to jump into book 2 tonight!💜💜Of course the cover is AMAZING! There are also illustrations every
...more
Nov 27, 2019
Bunny
rated it
really liked it
Recommended to Bunny by:
Jade Ratley
Shelves:
read-in-19,
gift
Read for the Believathon, category is Creepy or Atmospheric Book. Gifted to me by the INCREDIBLE Jade, who always gifts me the best books that I never see coming.
Lil Potkins is a 12-year old wannabe reporter. She's always on the hunt for the next big story, to get her foot in the door with an underground newspaper in her city. The underground paper is the only publication willing to tell the truth about the corruption happening in her town.
Then one day, Lil stumbles across a story she wasn't e ...more
Lil Potkins is a 12-year old wannabe reporter. She's always on the hunt for the next big story, to get her foot in the door with an underground newspaper in her city. The underground paper is the only publication willing to tell the truth about the corruption happening in her town.
Then one day, Lil stumbles across a story she wasn't e ...more
"All it takes for injustice to prevail is for good people to look the other way"
This book follows Lil Potkin, an aspiring reporter. She has been reporting on small bits of news around Peligan City, until she meets Nedly and becomes involved in a missing person case
I enjoyed this gritty MG mystery but I think my hopes were too high for it. I've been reading a lot of MG recently so perhaps I'm being overly critical, but I found this entire story quite predictable. I know it's written for younger a ...more
This book follows Lil Potkin, an aspiring reporter. She has been reporting on small bits of news around Peligan City, until she meets Nedly and becomes involved in a missing person case
I enjoyed this gritty MG mystery but I think my hopes were too high for it. I've been reading a lot of MG recently so perhaps I'm being overly critical, but I found this entire story quite predictable. I know it's written for younger a ...more
Believathon: Book 1, THE KEY
The thing that made me want to read this book was the gorgeous illustrations and cover art by KJ Mountford - it’s such a distinctive style and perfectly sets the tone of the book.
As with most middle grade books, the things I’m always drawn to are the adventure and friendships - Potkin & Stubbs really delivered. It was also really atmospheric with a lot of noir thriller motifs playing really well alongside the mystery and paranormal.
Lil Potkin was a character I was ro ...more
The thing that made me want to read this book was the gorgeous illustrations and cover art by KJ Mountford - it’s such a distinctive style and perfectly sets the tone of the book.
As with most middle grade books, the things I’m always drawn to are the adventure and friendships - Potkin & Stubbs really delivered. It was also really atmospheric with a lot of noir thriller motifs playing really well alongside the mystery and paranormal.
Lil Potkin was a character I was ro ...more
I didn’t think I would like this but it was the middle grade monthly read for September so I dove in & I loved it!
A really good read with a few twists that I didn’t see and a couple I did.
I love the way the author has named her characters and places especially the Rorschach Asylum. The plot is tense at times and fun to read. Wood definitely recommend to any one who likes a spooky mystery with a sort of film noir feel.
A really good read with a few twists that I didn’t see and a couple I did.
I love the way the author has named her characters and places especially the Rorschach Asylum. The plot is tense at times and fun to read. Wood definitely recommend to any one who likes a spooky mystery with a sort of film noir feel.
Lil is a great feisty character, the way she talks about scoops is like a reporter in an old movie.
It got very exciting and I had to keep stopping myself from reading ahead. And it's got a secret library so what more could you want?!? ...more
It got very exciting and I had to keep stopping myself from reading ahead. And it's got a secret library so what more could you want?!? ...more
Cute enough, but not a series I will continue. I do like the idea of a noir-esque middle grade story, but this kind of fell flat.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars!
Batman without the gadgets and make it middle grade. I really enjoyed this supernatural mystery. I will definitely be continuing!
ghostly happenings
This is MG -- nine years upwards, ghost partner of a wannabe reporter.
Brilliant, exciting and fun. The characters really made me care about them, especially Lil and Nedly.
Might be a bit scary for some children of this age group. PG?
Me? I'm already looking at the next book which is out in september. ...more
This is MG -- nine years upwards, ghost partner of a wannabe reporter.
Brilliant, exciting and fun. The characters really made me care about them, especially Lil and Nedly.
Might be a bit scary for some children of this age group. PG?
Me? I'm already looking at the next book which is out in september. ...more
I loved everything about this book. It is so beautifully told. The best thing since murder most unladylike
This is the story of wannabe reporter Lil Potkin, and what happens when ghost Nedly Stubbs comes to her for help with solving his murder. First of all, I adored the setting of Peligan City- it was very noir-esque and reminded me rather of Blade Runner`s version of 2019, though this book is considerably less miserable and brooding in tone that than that film was, so I liked it far more. I really liked the titular duo and their bantering back and forth dialogues with each other, as well as how muc
...more
I loved Potkin and Stubbs - A brilliantly written debut that is funny, tender, and so evocative that I could almost hear the blues music and persistent rain that mirrors the gloom of Peligan City. As well as a page turning mystery the interaction between the main characters is masterful.
Nov 11, 2019
thefatflatcat
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2019,
middle-grade
3.0
This was much creepier than I had expected! Really spooky in some places, I enjoyed those parts a lot! The atmosphere was created really nicely. Unfortunately, I guessed the mystery reveal early on, also I found the main character Lil to be nosy and annoying. Some of the actions she took were just absolutely unrealistic or simply impossible for a 10-year old (driving a car, lifting a fire-extinguisher, etc.). I guess for someone of that age it has to be cool to read about a same-age badass, b ...more
This was much creepier than I had expected! Really spooky in some places, I enjoyed those parts a lot! The atmosphere was created really nicely. Unfortunately, I guessed the mystery reveal early on, also I found the main character Lil to be nosy and annoying. Some of the actions she took were just absolutely unrealistic or simply impossible for a 10-year old (driving a car, lifting a fire-extinguisher, etc.). I guess for someone of that age it has to be cool to read about a same-age badass, b ...more
I don't really know what to say about this book. It was recommended to me numerous times by different people and I was really excited to pick it up. However, it fell flat for me. Maybe it was the hype that came with it? I don't really know because I don't actually have a specific reason for feeling let down.
Potkin and Stubbs is a well written, and creepy book. Maybe a little more creepy than i actually expected it to be especially based on the target audience. This definitely did take me by surp ...more
Potkin and Stubbs is a well written, and creepy book. Maybe a little more creepy than i actually expected it to be especially based on the target audience. This definitely did take me by surp ...more
4.5 stars!
don't click this if you plan to read the book bc i promise it won't be as fun:
(view spoiler)
ok moving on i love these characters sm! lil is v determined and ...more
don't click this if you plan to read the book bc i promise it won't be as fun:
(view spoiler)
ok moving on i love these characters sm! lil is v determined and ...more
A brilliantly written Noir that uses the tropes of the genre to great effect without exploiting them so much it descends into spoof. Peligan City is a brilliant Gotham-like creation (Rorschach asylum. Arkham, anyone? Also, isn't the character Rorschach from Watchmen supposed to be a bit crazy? Then again it could be that it's just named after Rorschach blots and I'm reading too much into things) and the characters are equally great, our trinity of protagonists being Lil Potkin, a determined 'Loi
...more
This book has a very specific vibe and lots of cheesy language. I think if you like that whole black and white old-timey gumshoe stuff, you'll love this. There's a lot of casual sort of, crazy and deranged people go to asylums, which I really could've done without. And I kind of hate that the thing with wool was somewhat of a throwaway. There was a lot of weird jumping around...like lil and Abe would be driving and then he'd ask about tea and now they're inside and?! Idk, it just sort of read li
...more
Dec 30, 2020
Jadey (the Bookish)
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
cover-love,
libraries,
read-in-a-day,
scifi,
fantasy,
books-i-own,
middle-grade,
murder,
read-in-2020
A wonderfully gritty noir middle grade with dollops of spookiness. Lil Potkin teams up with Nedly Stubbs and Detective 'Abe' Mandrel to solve a murder in a run-down town that wouldn't be out of place in a pulp fiction crime book.
Lil was a really feisty character and I loved that she was a wannabe-journalist rather than a detective, as the Sherlock Holmes trope feels a bit tired in middle grade for me personally.
The illustrations by Karl James Mountford were absolutely brilliant and helped evoke ...more
Lil was a really feisty character and I loved that she was a wannabe-journalist rather than a detective, as the Sherlock Holmes trope feels a bit tired in middle grade for me personally.
The illustrations by Karl James Mountford were absolutely brilliant and helped evoke ...more
This is an amazing first book in a middle grade series. I feel like both the main characters (lil and nedly) are great for young people. they are both willing to stop at nothing to do the right thing. Lil is such a strong young lady that is head strong and seeing her town for what is it (corrupt). this book centres around a mystery and to young children do anything to get answer. there are some really fun and interesting plot twists both early in the story and all the way throughout. all and all
...more
Fab detective adventure. Classic young persistent female teams up with grumpy retired detective to solve crimes. Plus ghosts. All set in a fictional (American?) metropolis full of its own strangeness and corruption. Well rounded characters stop it feeling old hat, although the way it unfolds follows a usual pattern of this style of book. Yay for the librarian who came up with it, and yay for the person who chose the illustrator - only a few stylised pics but they seem to match the kooky, mysteri
...more
This was such a great book! Once I got started it was hard to put down. I love Lil as a main character. I love how she wants to solve crimes and write for this underground newspaper. She lives in Pelican City where things have not been right for many years. One day she meets this ghost boy named Neddly and the try to solve the mystery of him and why he disappeared. They get help from a former police officer now turned PI Abe. This book is full of twist and turns and not knowing what is going to
...more
This book was written well. I enjoyed the author's writing style, but it was definitely more suitable for a young audience, which is who the book is aimed at. I thought the storytelling was witty and developed really well. I enjoyed the different characters, although, they could have been more diverse. There are some MG books that I absolutely adore (e.g. Percy Jackson), and although, this book is pleasant, it did not surprise me or awe me in any way. Still, it was a cute and simple read. I beli
...more
A bit of a dark one, dark politics, missing orphans, arson and hopeless, alcoholic ex policemen. Lil Potkin is a preteen detective who comes across the ghost of a missing boy Nedly. Together they uncover a dark plot to weaponise tortured souls and find out what happened to Ned. It's not a bad little story, and it looks there might be more as this is numbered One. Not a bad first read of the year!
...more
Sometimes you buy your 11 yr old a book and you start reading it in the checkout queue and you don’t stop till you’re finished and that’s a sign of a really good book!
Familiar but fresh, timeless, placeless, it reminded me of a kids version of gritty Gotham City. Looking forward to reading more about Lil’s detective work and wondering if some of my guesses about her background are going to be revealed.
Familiar but fresh, timeless, placeless, it reminded me of a kids version of gritty Gotham City. Looking forward to reading more about Lil’s detective work and wondering if some of my guesses about her background are going to be revealed.
If i could give this more than 5* I could this is smart and interesting writing that is for everyone not just kids. It feels like you are immersed in a gritty world that you'd expect in Sin city or a raymond chandler novel except the protaganists are a young aspiring investigative reporter and her friend Nedly who no-one else can see but her. I would have adored these books as a child and to be fair I love them now, i'll de reading the rest of the series for sure.
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