A Much, Much Better Than Expected Early-Middle Grade Adventure Mystery This book is a Kindle reissue, (old hardcovers are available from third parties), of a book that was part of the Disney Adventures Casebusters series published in the late 90's. The author, Joan Lowery Nixon, (who died in 2003), wrote over 100 books, almost all of which were mysteries or historical fiction for middle graders and young adults.This particular book seems intended for a younger reader within that age range. It has a good but basic mystery, a touch of adventure, a hint of ghostiness, and a clear linear plot. The heroes, Brian and Sean, are brothers who work well together as "detectives", and who are sometimes helped and/or hindered by other neighborhood kids. Their Dad is an actual private investigator and he often talks to them about his cases because he respects their thoughts and insights. The boys, in turn, try to come up with interesting angles and theories for dad to consider.In this case, two valuable pieces of art on loan to the local museum have gone missing. It's a locked-room mystery and the only suspects are the museum employees. Everyone seems to have had opportunity and motive, and different clues point to different suspects. The boys have to use reason and their powers of observation to figure out the identity of the culprit. The book plays fair with the evidence and the red herrings and is just as good, in a stripped down fast paced manner, as many books that pass as adult mysteries.A great appeal of this series is the good relationship the brothers, (ages 13 and 9), have. Mom and Dad are also strong presences. The stories reflect a world where adults are helpful and reliable, hero kids are adventurous but careful, and usually all ends well. (Think "Hardy Boys" for the younger crowd.)These are fine books for readers moving beyond chapter books who want a bit of imaginative adventure. Sometimes there are caves and fun things like that, (although this one sticks to the museum), and often there is some sort of potential menace and some hint of scary stuff, (here there is a question about whether the mummy on display actually walks the grounds at night). The writing is clear and forthright, but not childish, and so presents a bit of a challenge without being daunting.I don't know if you'll want a lot of Nixon books on the family shelf, since they do tend to blend together a bit, but the Casebusters series is particularly sharp and interest is sustained from book to book by the recurring characters and the amiable heroes.Please note that I found this book while browsing kindleunlimited freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
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