The Impossible Crime (Mac B., Kid Spy #2) by Mac Barnett
Published by Orchard Books on December 26th 2018
ISBN: 1338143689
Pages: 160
Goodreads

Mac B. is back and the Queen of England needs him to help keep her Crown Jewels safe. She has had a threat referring to an old feud and promising revenge and she is sure that her jewels will be the target. Written in a conversational style that is engaging and hilarious, Mac brings the reader along with him as he travels from the US to England to help stop a crime before it happens. Unfortunately, Mac’s presence doesn’t prevent the predicted threat and the jewels are stolen but from a LOCKED ROOM with Mac and a guard in it! The book would make an excellent mentor text/introduction to tropes and characteristics of this subset of mystery books, the locked room mystery. The conversations between Mac and the Queen are sure to crack up any audience if read aloud (the difference between pants and trousers in British English and American English is fantastic and is riffed on throughout). Filled with humor, riddles, travel, suspense, and even some British history, this second book in the series will delight fans or hook new readers to the series as it’s not totally necessary to have read book 1 to appreciate this one. The artwork rendered in black, orange, and green is vibrant and appealing; it contains movement and perfectly accompanies the text. The ending promises another adventure, so there is more fun in store. Hold on to your trousers!

For grades

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth