Book Review: The Clue in the Trees

Book info

Francie’s brother Theo has secrets—secrets Francie thinks she wants to know. But what if one of those secrets is that Theo is a murderer? To avoid considering that possibility, Francie plunges into her senior year at a small-town high school near Enchantment Lake in northern Minnesota. It’s a radical change from her private school in New York, but she hopes to keep an eye on her great aunts and maybe finally learn more about the mother she never knew. A small silver box seems to hold the answers, and she is determined to get her hands on it.

But when her long-lost brother turns up, so does a dead body, and once again Francie is drawn into a mystery. A long list of suspects, with Theo at the top, keeps her head spinning. When Francie herself becomes a suspect she starts to feel like she is walking on thin ice, but it isn’t until she is literally walking on thin ice that the pieces start to come together—and by then it may be too late.

In her previous adventure Enchantment Lake, Francie was thrown into northern Minnesota lake living: fishing, berry picking, lost kayaks and scary boat rides, poisoned hotdishes, exploding bulldozers, a forest fire . . . and murder. But if she thinks things have settled down, she’s in for a surprise. A new school with new friends (and a few enemies), a lead role in a play, an encounter with a giant muskie, archaeological twists, secret tunnels, thin ice, and a strangely sticky murder are all coming her way in The Clue in the Trees.

My Thoughts About This Book

This was a sweet and adorable story. This was something that I read in a fairly quick manner over the course of a week off and on while waiting for class. While this is a book that is really for middle grade to young teens, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.  It doesn't seem to have a groundbreaking moral to it or taking away, but still, it is a great modern mystery. 

The Clue in the Trees is the second book in the Northwoods Series, but it can it can be read as a stand-alone. There are some references that you may miss but for the most part, you can read this by itself.  I felt like the end was really a cliffhanger that set up for the sequel. I can't wait for the third book to come out. 

The book follows a little girl named Francie, who in my opinion was pretty immature for the character she is supposed to be. I feel this could be a really good modern mystery series similar to the Boxcar Children Series.

In terms of plot, this one has some many interesting topics. Things that I haven't read about previously. Things from mysteries in small towns, pipeline protests, long-lost brothers, maple syrup heists. The points are intriguing they are quite predictable which is expected for a general middle-grade novel. 

I wouldn't say for older kids or teens this would be scary but for the intended audience, it might be scared by some parts of this book. This is a clean book, that you can enjoy with your children or have them read independently without fear.

Disclaimer: This ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.