James Ponti

Not all mysteries only happen in the present, and this one glides with clues over the years and enough tension to hold until the very last page.

A body has been discovered at the Moroccan Hotel and identified as a man, who'd died sixty years before. Although the Sherlock Society wasn't planning for another case, Grandfather's relationship to the deceased many years ago makes it impossible to ignore, especially since he'd been trying to prove that the deceased was innocent in a jewelry theft show more for years. While it might seem that the trail has long grown cold, the Sherlock Society comes across more and more information in unexpected ways. But this isn't going unnoticed. Someone doesn't want them to discover the truth and is going to extreme extents to make sure they don't.

Already on the first pages, this tale starts out with energy and grabs...but not in the way that might be expected. It starts with the Grandpa, who might be aged but packs more life than most and adds zest, which fits since it's also his past which underlines the mystery. Alex and Zoe along with their friends have a golden relationship with him (adding goodness), but it also lays a great foundation as the mystery and murder unfolds. Their are hints of darker tons to entice the audience and draw in, but the author uses the character's personalities and situations to add just the right amount of humor to make it a fun adventure. It's an addictive balance.

The writing is smooth as always and adds information and facts, here and there, while weaving a nice web of clues and intentions. There were moments of teetering over-information, which had me skimming over several paragraphs. Still, that didn't quite outweigh the high-tension, dangerous stakes, and action scenes enough to make the book disappoint, either. I just hope this draws back in the future books a bit.

Summed up, this is another fun, grabbing read with characters, who live up to their Sherlock name and with side characters to enjoy or hate...and I can't wait to see what adventure lies in store for them next. show less

This book is much fun! It’s also really touching!

This would have been a favorite book of mine when I was 9-12 years old. It’s excellent in every way.

I’m excited that the next book, book 2, appears to take place in San Francisco. I want to read it soon.

I love all of the characters. The name “Mother” gives me the creeps though. I do like him a lot anyway. He is experiencing a situation that is poignant and that will continue to make for a great subplot. I adore Monty and would have show more loved her (an adult character) even as a kid.

The story is brilliantly constructed! I’m favorably impressed. It’s a romp and an adventure book that is never dull and it’s also a thoughtful and serious story at the same time. I love how the kids in particular are taken seriously and are shown as smart and skilled people. It was enjoyable to be with them and to watch them and to see their relationships develop. Yes I had to suspend disbelief but I had zero problem doing that in this case.

This book’s story takes place in Paris and in & near Edinburgh, but it really has settings all over the world as the characters are introduced and as different events occur. Brooklyn from Brooklyn NY, and Paris from Paris France, and Sydney from Sydney Australia, and also Rio from Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Kat from Kathmandu Nepal, and additionally Charlotte from Charlotte North Carolina.

This one is a genuine page turner. If I hadn’t been so busy with two other books and with life (extra covid/viruses safe socializing and paperwork) I would have gulped it down in one day instead of three days and even three days makes it a very fast read for me. There are so many great children’s mystery novels out. This is one of my favorites, maybe my favorite at least for the moment. It has some complexity that many other similar novels don’t.

I was a bit surprised at how serious the potential crimes were and also surprised at how serious the dangers were that the characters faced. Scary! Just when I thought they would make one of those very stupid mistakes characters in mystery novels make they ended up making a wiser decision. I was happy about that. There are other scenes fraught with danger though and one of them was particularly frightening to me given my fear of heights. That’s my only caveat, that for sensitive readers please know that the book is intense and the crimes and the dangers are on par with (non-cozy) mystery stories written for adults.

Highly recommended!!! Equally recommended for girls and for boys. show less

I love a good, solid, middle-grade action book, and James Ponti has definitely upped the ante for the books out there with this gem of a novel. Molly Bigelow is a fun, quirky, and definitely brave young girl who enjoys hanging out in the morgue - but even more so, she's fearless when it comes to stepping in and taking up the reins of an Omega. To be honest, I wasn't sure if this was going to be a novel I'd enjoy - I've had about enough of zombies and out of all the paranormal creatures out show more there, they tend to be the least enjoyable to think about. I mean, rotting flesh, gross teeth, all that dirt from being underground, not exactly your typical fresh-smelling sort of date, you know?

But zombies aren't just normal zombies in this book. There's an added twist - they can actually think and speak, depending on the level of the zombie. There's emotion in there as well - and that's where Molly Bigelow comes in. She and her friends are there to be the wall of separation should a wayward zombie decide to attack the living.

I laughed out loud many times throughout this book, and found Dead City to be a fascinating look at no only what being brave can do for a young person, but also a lesson in consequences when rules are disobeyed. Molly was a flawed character and that is a good thing. I enjoyed the story arc so much I was willing to overlook most of the inconsistencies I found (of which there were a few) - but the one I did struggle with, I admit, was the idea that Molly as a warm-blooded person, could be mistaken for a zombie when touched by another zombie. However, that didn't occur all that often and the rest, as I said, were easy to overlook for the sake of the story as a whole.

I very much look forward to the next installment of this exciting series and am glad that James Ponti is writing a story that combines strong male and female characters. It's about time we saw something of equal strength on both sides of the equation! show less

Tension, mystery, and, most importantly, the sense of family shine through on every page.

The newest member of the City Spies, Cairo, is facing his first mission...well, not official since the higher-ups know nothing about it. The City Spies are determined to secretly find his younger sister, who disappeared under very questionable circumstances. Following 'bread crumbs', they jet around the world to figure out where she is, who is after her, and, somehow, take care of an official mission, a show more royal wedding, as well. It's going to keep them busy.

It's been a bit since I picked up a book in this series, but it was no problem to sink right in, especially with that first chapter. This book starts out with tension pure and gets things rolling right away. And there's a lot going on. Not only do the City Spies need to locate Cairo's sister, but there are evil forces at play, pulling at the ties between their 'family' thanks to an earlier betrayal, which is by no means solved, yet.

The writing flows very smoothly, and the characters come across naturally. The spy end is more of a hunt, this time, with clues to follow (before it unfolds into more, later on), so mystery fans will appreciate that end. While this does involve spies, the technology and abilities don't stretch imagination too far, and the characters expand their capabilities as well as the trust in themselves, which adds a nice touch. The family aspect is inspiring and makes this group golden as they are a bit of a hodge-podge mix but still hold together wonderfully.

This is a nice addition to the series and keeps everything exciting and tension packed the entire way through. show less