Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew 5 – Case of the Sneaky Snowman

Carolyn Keene's Case of the Sneaky Snowman is a wintry Clue Crew mystery for 8 year olds about a snowman who seems to have walked off on his own.

What happens

It's the winter holidays and it has snowed for two days straight. Nancy, Bess and George build a snowman in the park and call him Sherlock, after the famous detective. He gets a broccoli nose (George's mum needed all the carrots for a catering job) and a smile made of dog biscuits.

Over by the swings, Deirdre has set up a purple and gold tent. She's now Madame Coco Chocolata, and she reads your future in the marshmallows floating on your hot chocolate.

Her predictions are pretty silly. Pizza for Nancy's dinner. A long journey for the snowman. And for Bess, who's about to skate in the town's big ice show with two famous Russian ice dancers, a fall in front of everybody.

Then a pizza nobody ordered turns up on the Drews' doorstep. The next morning Sherlock has gone, and a trail of boot prints leads away from where he stood.

Bess is starting to believe in Madame Chocolata, and she's ready to quit the show. Nancy is certain there's a sensible answer. The only way to cheer Bess up is to prove it.

On top of all that, somebody calling himself the Snowman is playing pranks all over the park. Snowballs with raw eggs inside. Sledges covered in Silly String. Bushes wrapped in toilet roll, with a cheeky signed note left behind.

This is a cosy winter read. Snow angels, hot chocolate, and a ride down the steepest hill in town on a sheet of cardboard! The clues are ones a child can spot too, like woolly green threads in the snow and a letter S written in a very curly way.

The nicest thing is how the book treats Bess. She's properly frightened of falling over in front of hundreds of people. George teases her, but nobody leaves her alone with the worry.

It's American, so expect winter break and dollar bills. Nancy is a third grader here, not a teenager, which surprises some parents who grew up with the older books.

What to read next

If they're after more snow, Ski School Sneak takes the three friends to a beginners' ski slope for the day, where the first thing to go missing is George's breakfast bar.