[BWF] The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford 4 stars

[Karin]

his is a delightful book about a pair of young detectives; I enjoyed it even though normally I eschew fictional novels about real people. As this title suggests, this is a retelling of Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone, and I liked it a good deal better than the original which was a dnf for me. I have read and liked other books by Collins. The girls are an unabashed take off on Watson and Holmes minus the opium. At the end are disclaimers, naturally, and actual facts about the real Lady Ada Byron and Mary Godwin. History buffs may recognize the latter as Mary Wollstonecraft's daughter who went onto become a writer who is primarily known for Frankenstein: The 1818 Text.

There is not only a mystery, but there is danger and adventure. I personally liked this better than The Lemony Snicket series because it's less dark, but there is no denying the cleverness behind the Snicket books. Jordan Stratford is also some sort of penname