Sleuth & Solve: 20+ Mind-Twisting Mysteries:

by Victor Escandell, Ana Gallo (Illustrations)

Welcome to the world of Sleuth & Solve, a collection of 20 clever mysteries where the clues are in the details and crafty twists put readers' wits to the test.

Read the clues, work on solving them, then lift the flap to reveal the answer to each mystery.

Sleuth & Solve encourages readers of all ages to practice deduction, inference, and logical reasoning to crack each case—and develop critical thinking skills at the same time.

• A compelling collection of interactive, inference-based mysteries
• Makes a perfect gift for puzzle lovers and super-sleuths of every age
• The first book in a series of mind-bending mini-mysteries

There is perhaps nothing more enticing than a mystery waiting to be solved, and Sleuth & Solve has twenty riddles just waiting to be cracked.

Readers may play alone or with friends, collecting points for cracking each case and determining whose sleuthing skills reign supreme.

• A wonderful gift for fans of brain teasers and puzzles, mystery aficionados, parents and educators looking for a read-together book that encourages critical thinking, mystery-loving older readers, and adults seeking the perfect mix of challenging logic puzzles and quick entertainment
• Great for teachers and librarians seeking a book that even the most reluctant readers can't resist
• Perfect for those who loved Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol, The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, and The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Genres: Mystery, Nonfiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Puzzles

64 pages, Hardcover

Published August 13, 2019

About the author

Renowned illustrator Victor Escandell was born in Ibiza and graduated in Graphic Design from the prestigious Massana School of Barcelona. He has worked for companies such as MacCann-Erickson, TBWA, Bassat & Ogilvy and most of the Spanish national newspapers. In 2007 his work was selected for the exhibition of Catalan illustrators at Frankfurt Book Fair. He is the author of A Wonderful World of Animals, Dinosaurs and Sweet Monsters of the World.

Reviews

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has 23 mini mysteries that the reader solves either by using Logic or by using Imagination. The mysteries are classified by difficulty level, from 1 (very easy) to 6 (very difficult). All but one of the mysteries are presented on a double page spread. Clues are given in the text and the illustrations, and the solution is under a flap at the bottom of the second page. All of the mysteries are fictitious. At the front of the book, the author also has suggestions for using the mysteries as a family competition or a team competition. It is illustrated with exaggerated cartoon artwork.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did this with my 7 and 12 year old and it was a blast!

[Marina Angeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent riddle and mystery book for young readers. Lots of fun!!

[J Kromrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this entertaining eARC.

"Sleuth & Solve: Art" by Ana Gallo is a delightful puzzle book that invites readers into a world of creative deduction, blending visual artistry with the thrill of unraveling mind-twisting mysteries.

This book is an immersive experience in critical thinking and artistic perception. Each challenge is meticulously crafted to engage both the logical and imaginative parts of the brain. The integration of art-themed mysteries adds a distinctive flavor, making it a refreshing departure from conventional logic puzzle books. Readers don’t just decode patterns or solve word-based riddles—they interpret visual clues, analyze compositions, and think outside the frame, quite literally.

"Sleuth & Solve: Art" fosters a sense of curiosity and creativity. The book encourages readers to approach problem-solving in a holistic way, weaving together elements of observation, deduction, and lateral thinking. The illustrations play a crucial role, serving as both aesthetic enhancements and essential components of the puzzles themselves.

For those who love engaging their minds while indulging in visually stimulating storytelling, this book offers a rewarding experience. It’s perfect for puzzle enthusiasts who appreciate a challenge with a splash of artistic inspiration. Whether you're a seasoned sleuth or a casual observer, the mysteries within these pages will leave you entertained and creatively invigorated.

[Salamah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really cool book for elementary students. I used this title to share mini mysteries to learn about the genre mystery. The mystery is very short and requires students to use logic, use their imagination and use clues from the story to solve the mystery. At the end there is an answer with an explanation. The only reason I took off one star was because there are a couple of mysteries that have a murderer. Some people may be find with that while others may not. Overall a must have for an elementary school librarian.

[Tlwinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This provided quite a bit of fun in the evenings as we read a mystery or two. We would start each page by looking at the difficulty level and found that that part was very deceiving. The mysteries that were rated with a difficulty level of six were often easier for us than the ones that were rated a two. But that made it more fun. There were a few mysteries that we thought were just impossible to solve because we weren't given all the clues... but we really enjoyed the fact that it made us use our brains each evening and generated some good discussions.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not realize this was a kid's book when I ordered it, but this would be a fun family activity. The book suggests doing the puzzles as a family. I could see young children really enjoy these. My own children are way too old now, but I am thinking of trying these out at the elementary school where I work as fun little problems to solve (they will take adults not even ten seconds to solve in most cases).

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun children's book. The premise is to solve the 20+ mysteries. You can do them alone, as a family, or as a team. Each solution is either based on logic or imagination, are worth up to 50 points, and have different difficulty levels. It's like a board game in a book. Victor Escandell's illustrations are silly and colorful. They are reminiscent of the illustrated educational lessons on TED-ED (https://ed.ted.com/)

[Sara Patton · Rating 5 out of 5]

We chose to do the puzzles in this books as a family. My children, ages 11, 9 and 8 absolutely loved it! The puzzles are ranked in difficulty and that was helpful for my kids to know which ones to attempt on their own. We all loved the artwork, which helped in solving the puzzles in many instances. Great book to give as a gift!

[theGraveyard Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 7 & 12 year olds had a blast with this. There are a few pretty well known ones, a few that are a bit of a stretch to solve but most hit a sweet spot where they were pretty proud of themselves for solving. Illustrations are great too.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this! Such fun quick brain teasers, & these mini mysteries to solve have point values with them to give readers an indication of difficulty level. Try it on your own or compete against others trying to solve each case. Either way, so much FUN!

[Terressa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids loved this.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were fun to solve. I love the format with the lift the flap answers.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a long pandemic & this book of family friendly riddles livened up dinner conversations for the whole family this winter.

[Cheryl]

not in evergreen either

[Kasey Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have really enjoyed this book as a family. My daughter, who doesn't really like to read outside of school, loves to read the riddles aloud and solve them.

[Shannon McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

We looked forward to reading this book every night. Some of the mysteries were very challenging!

[Dest · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 9-year-old loves these books. The quality of the mysteries varies, but overall this is a fun way to read together.

[Liam + Tax · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a brain teaser!

[Alana Bursey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a neat idea! I have seen this book in different classrooms and now have my own copy. Kids enjoy these stories at bed time. Great work!

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beginning sleuths and those who simply enjoy a fun game are going to dive into these pages and enjoy every single moment of fun.

This is more like a collection of games in book form...all mysteries which need to be solved. The first pages explain how to works and offer the possibility of playing each one in groups or teams or even alone (but that's not as much fun). Each mystery is rated by difficulty from very easy to very difficult, making it great for a range of age groups. It's also a mixture of using either logical deduction or more of a creative mindset, and these are also marked at the beginning of the mystery. After the mystery is presented in a clear manner with illustrated characters to help demonstrate each moment, a flip-card at the bottom holds the correct answer.

We're one of those families, who loves a good game evening. So, this was right down our line. It covers a wide range of difficulties, which considering our wide range of kids was terrific. The mysteries are presented very clearly, in an almost comic like form. It was fun to read through them and watch the humor in the illustrations before the guessing began. Some are tough. Others aren't. Others even offer hints in the illustrations. We found the difficulty rating at the beginning of each page helpful. And while a certain number of points are to be awarded with each solved mystery, we skipped over this part and simply enjoyed seeing who guess the correct answer. It was fun, kept a very animated table, and we're looking forward to going back and solving the ones we didn't yet.

These mysteries are children appropriate and do make one think, sometimes out of the box. While each one can be done alone, too, without any problem (and is also fun), I recommend the group/family setting simply because it's always more entertaining that way. Our entire family gives this one a big thumbs up.

I received a complimentary copy and we enjoyed this one so much that I'm leaving our honest thoughts.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss 7 and I both enjoyed this. It's mysteries are short (normally 2 pages) and are largely illustrative with a few text clues. They are a mix of imagination and logic puzzles. One was a classic (relating to how a farmer can cross a river while managing a dog, a chicken, and seed) but most I didn't recognise. We liked most of the puzzles and were able to solve many of them. Miss 7 liked that there was a lift-the-flap to reveal the answer.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need more books like this. Some mysteries have could really have more solutions than the one given. Some mysteries have a definte answer.