The Mizzy Mysteries: A Skeleton in the Closet

Murder mystery tales are top of the reading tree for middle grade readers in my school library at the moment and this new title from debut author Claire Hatcher-Smith is sure to be extremely popular when it hits the shelves.

Mizzy the Marvellous, as she likes to call herself, is a funny and feisty twelve-year-old who is going to be a world-famous detective, even if she hasn’t actually solved any mysteries yet. She’s been looking forward to spending the summer holidays at her aunt’s house as usual, but this year her two cousins seem more interested in playing football than their usual game of Holmes and Watson. So, when Mizzy uncovers her Great-Aunt Jane’s long-lost diaries, which seem to point to her possibly being murdered, she is determined to prove that she can solve this particular mystery all on her own. This time nothing is going to stop her; not her embarrassing fears, her clumsiness or the fact that her family constantly underestimate her and certainly not the fact that she has Down Syndrome. After coming up with the clever cover story of a school family tree project, Mizzy draws up a list of suspects and manages to interview the oblivious members of her family, but her theories never seem to be quite right. Can Mizzy prove everyone wrong and finally solve the mystery on her own?

This funny and fast-paced story is an absolute delight. The clever plot twists and turns with a handful of wonderful red herrings to keep us guessing right up to the end. Our new heroine Mizzy is a fabulous role model, both for the neurodivergent community and for all wannabe detectives, showing resilience and determination in all that she does. This is a wonderfully accessible and charming story, and I do hope that there are many more Mizzy mystery adventures to come.