Mysteries. They are some of my very favourite books. Right since the time I read The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters as a six-year-old, I haven’t been able to resist a whodunit. While it’s true that as a cranky adult I’ve become a lot more fussy about the whydunit and howdunit too, you’ll still find my bookshelves—which includes my ebookshelf—stuffed with mystery and crime novels.
When it comes to children’s books, I’ve been waiting for a long time for a juicy mystery. Over this past year or so, I’ve had the opportunity to read quite a few, thanks partly to Goodbooks.in. The Case Files of PI Pojo: The Killing of Mr Heathcoate has been the latest.
Pratap Pande, a.k.a. Pojo, is a somewhat precocious thirteen-year-old… and a fledgling private eye. [He] solves crimes wherever he goes, from cases of stolen sweets and pilfered newspapers to missing prizewinning orchids…. So, when the school mascot, a cat named Mr Heathcoate, is found dead, Pojo finally lands a “murder” case. And, if the killing of Mr Heathcoate is not terrible enough, the cat’s body disappears overnight. Who could possibly want the beloved school cat dead and why would they go to such great lengths to steal the body? Is it the football captain of the rival school Oakwood, intent on sabotaging Heathcoate’s chances of the football cup? Is it Matron, looking for revenge after being sacked for sneaking a quick smoke on the job? Worse still, is it someone from the student body, or one of the teachers or other staff? As the school reels under the loss of its darling mascot, Pojo swings into action.
Read the rest here
~PD