Libby and the Parisian Puzzle

Jo Clarke's Libby and the Parisian Puzzle is a cosy mystery for 10 year olds about a girl who's never been to school until her aunt's school goes to Paris.

What happens

Libby has travelled everywhere with her mum. Seaplanes, rickety river boats, sleds across frozen land. She's never stayed anywhere long enough for school.

But this time Mum is off to Ecuador without her. So Libby's packed off to Aunt Agatha, who runs Mousedale's Travelling School. It moves to a different country every term, and this term it's Paris.

Libby loves a mystery. She's always got an Isobel Investigates book on the go (Isobel is her favourite sleuth). Mum's parting advice is that not everything is a mystery waiting to be solved.

You can guess how well that goes!

On the train she notices a nervous woman clinging to a red suitcase. A man opposite is reading about a missing ring. Then that same woman turns out to be Miss Browne, the new teacher at Libby's school. Why does she snatch back a scrap of newspaper as if it's burning her? And who is she arguing with on a bridge over the Seine?

Libby is the sort of detective who spots dog hairs on your trousers and reads where you're from off your luggage label. That's how she wins over Connie, her quiet new roommate from Scotland, who becomes the perfect partner for snooping.

Then things get serious. Aunt Agatha is arrested for a jewel robbery, and it's up to the two girls to work out who really did it.

It's a lovely read. There are macarons and mugs of hot chocolate, a very cold boat trip and a queue at the Louvre. There's a bit of homesickness too, handled gently. Libby still takes her tatty toy bunny, Bonnie, everywhere (and hides her under the pillow the minute anyone comes in).

Libby and Connie's friendship is the heart of it. One is bold and messy, the other is tidy and shy, and they bring out the best in each other.

Got a reader who loves a puzzle and a good snoop? Libby's adventures start here, so it's the perfect place to begin.

What to read next

For another girl finding her feet somewhere grand and new, with precious jewels about to go on show and a boy who dreams of being a detective, try The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow. Sophie works in the hat department of a brand-new London store.