THE SILVER SERPENT, By Lena Jones, HarperCollins Children’s Books, June 2, 2020, Paperback, $7.99 (ages 10 and up)
One of my favorite teen sleuths is back in Lena Jones’ Agatha Oddly: The Silver Serpent.
If you have not already read the first two books in the Agatha Oddly series — The Secret Key and Murder at the Museum (click links for reviews) — then you should definitely read them first before reading on below.
Thirteen-year-old Agatha Oddly is the youngest and newest recruit to the gatekeeper’s guild. And she’s got a lot to prove. So, when Agatha is put on the case of a missing National Gallery assistant, she jumps at the chance. With the help of a new partner, Agatha discovers a plot bigger than just a missing person.
The first two books of the Agatha Oddly series really knocked my socks off. I loved everything about them. The same can almost be said of The Silver Serpent.
All the things I love about the other books are back. Agatha is inquisitive, daring and flawed. Her friends are interesting and supportive. You get to travel the roads of London. There’s mystery. There’s adventure. The writing is fast-paced and overall enjoyable to read.
My “almost” comes with the conclusion to The Silver Serpent, which seemed a bit too convenient and too rushed. Author Lena Jones is actually team of new writers, who work collaboratively. Here is where they seem to have slightly lost their way. The Silver Serpent brings the series to a nice conclusion, but it left me with lots of unanswered questions.
Will my quibbles keep me from recommending The Silver Serpent?
No.
This is an exciting series that is just too much fun not to recommend.
