A Hitch at the Fairmont

by Jim Averbeck, Nick Bertozzi (Illustrations)

An intrepid boy teams up with Alfred Hitchcock himself in this rollicking mystery rife with action, adventure, intrigue, and all the flavor of film noir.

After the mysterious death of his mother, eleven-year-old Jack Fair is whisked away to San Francisco's swanky Fairmont Hotel by his wicked Aunt Edith. There, he seems doomed to a life of fetching chocolates for his aunt and her pet chinchilla. Until one night, when Aunt Edith disappears, and the only clue is a ransom note written... in chocolate?

Suddenly, Jack finds himself all alone on a quest to discover who kidnapped Aunt Edith and what happened to his mother. Alone, that is, until he meets an unlikely accomplice: Alfred Hitchcock himself! The two embark on a madcap journey full of hidden doorways, secret societies, cryptic clues, sinister villains, and cinematic flair.

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Juvenile, Historical

416 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2014

About the author

I was born and raised in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio, a beautiful city built, like Rome, on seven hills-wooded hills of oak, walnut, and maple where I and my childhood imagination ran wild.

I enjoy throwing myself into situations which give me an opportunity to explore and grow. I joined the Peace Corps in my late twenties and went to live in Cameroon in western Africa for almost four years. It was there I first realized I wanted to write for children.

Reviews

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite books growing up were the Three Investigators series, which started out as Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators until Mr. Hitchcock passed away. So I'm familiar with Hitchcock as a book character. This book was a delight that took me back to those days. I loved both the story and the illustrations. Whether you are a Hitchcock fan or not, this book is a great read.

[Libby May · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book. I had a really hard time getting into it, and finishing it, but in the end I was really glad with the two different plots side by side.
I wouldn't recommend it for kids under 12 cause of the ideas and images it portrays, but I enjoyed it. :D

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how many middle-school age Hitchcock fans there are out there but this is the book for them. Quite a fun read. Good mystery, interesting characters, great setting. You do not need to be a Hitchcock fan to enjoy this book but there are a lot of fun references in it for you if you are.

[Daniel Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Hitch at The Fairmont

A Hitch at the Fairmont, by Jim Averback, is a story about the life of a boy named Jack. He becomes an orphan after his mother dies in a freak accident. His father passed away during world war two, leaving Jack an orphan. He must live with his aunt, Judith, who makes him a servant for her needs. They reside at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. His aunt’s chinchilla is pampered, while Jack must fetch chocolates for his aunt. One day, after fetching chocolates, he finds his aunt missing, with only a ransom note left behind. However, when he exits his hotel room, he runs into Alfred Hitchcock, the famous film director! Hitchcock reluctantly agrees to help Jack find his aunt. Their search takes them all around the city, and they don’t seem to find anything, until… Read more to find out!
I would rate this book a 3.5 out of five stars on a five star rating scale. The book's structure wasnt too advanced, and it also did not contain vocabulary that I would consider advanced. However, the book was extremely exciting, making it a decent read.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in Books, Inc. in San Francisco to cash in a Groupon, and stumbled on this delightful caper. It was on a wall for local authors, and something about the cover just reached out to me. These words in the book's description clinched it for me - suddenly orphaned boy whisked off to live in a fancy hotel, evil Aunt Edith and her pet chinchilla, mysterious kidnapping, Alfred Hitchcock shows up to help solve the case. This is fine young adult fiction - full of intrigue, loving descriptions of San Francisco and the Fairmont (here's someone who took time to get to know his location!), great intro to Hitchcock and his films (or fun "wouldn't it be great if that is really where he got that idea" for fans), delightful characters and great broadly drawn villains (in a way that is actually okay), lots of action. Another great read on the train!

[Penny Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun tween mystery! I hope this is the first in a series. Jack goes to San Francisco to live with a cranky old aunt after his mom dies. They live at the historic Fairmont Hotel, and there are quite a few other SF landmarks woven into the exciting story of kidnapping, deception, and extortion. Soon after moving in, Jack's aunt is kidnapped but luckily neighbor Alfred Hitchcock assists the boy in finding out where his aunt is and what she is up to. Hitchcock fans will enjoy the various asides to his film and TV efforts; there is a section in the back on the references to his films including the chapter titles and the small comic strip storyboards that begin each chapter. A bit long but well-paced.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book! Full of plot twists, humor, and exciting chases! Loved it!

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps viewing life from the darkness, they can see things in a new light. All experiencing the same story, but each with his own reaction and thoughts. (Pg. 206)

Ah Nique loves her mysteries and this book jacket promised Action! Adventure and Intrigue!—Even the under the fine print and drawing of a detective the book promised Alfred Hitchcock and so here we are..Though I am highly skeptical on any middle schooler even knowing who Hitchcock is I thought it would make for a good mystery..
(SN: As I read more and more YA and children literature I find the line of authors writing what they want to read/novels that appeal to adults more than kids to be very fine. It’s like unfortunately these books can’t be appreciated without the backstory and history and you just hope some kids dare to read and learn more or read these books despite not knowing what a telephone landline sounds like or have never saw that chubby cheeked profile and distinct voice of director Hitchcock
So okay this book starts out with a common theme among emerging teen heroes and epic adventures—poor Jack has just lost both his parents—his father he can’t remember years and years ago and his mother after she drove her car off a cliff..Jack is now a full orphan and sent to live with his aunt Edith who hates him and treats him like dirt. When she is not stuffing her face with chocolates or pampering her pet chinchilla she is bossing Jack around and barely feeding him—as Jack resigns himself to his miserable existence, finding solace only with his drawings he is swept into a fantastic mystery as his aunt goes missing and the great Alfred Hitchcock turns out to be his next door neighbor in the Fairmont hotel..Hitchcock is reluctantly drawn into helping Jack find Aunt Edith after her last note warns against involving the police and clever Jack made it seem as a publicity stunt and now the two of them become unlikely partners making up tricks, plans and deceptions to find his Aunt.
It was entertaining and fun to read---there was an ugly analogy I didn’t like:
“Jack had never noticed the ticking of the clock on the table before, but now it thundered in his ears like the bass drum of a slave ship beating out time. (Pg. 315)---Blech I didn’t care for this description at all, just wasnt needed ..
The action keeps on and there are many capers and tricks—even an allusion to his famous Birds movie and just a lot of dialogue that I worry was way too mature for kids to love this story as I think adults will..just because an eleven year old is the main character doesn’t make it a children’s book and I think this is an advanced read that some kids may try but not be crazy about..it took some getting into from me an adult reader…anyways what shall I read next….

[Connor Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Hitch at the Fairmont" starts out with a boy named Jack Fair. Jack's father died before he was ever able to see him (during WWII) and his mother supposedly commits suicide when Jack is in his teen years. Jack is sent to live with his chocolate hoarding, verbally abusive aunt who lives in San-Francisco. When Jack is gone to get chocolate for his aunt she is kidnapped with a message written in chocolate on the bed. Jack runs across the hallway to get help and is greeted by nonother than Alfred Hitchcock, one of the greatest mystery film directors of all time. The police believe that this is one of Hitchcock’s publicity stunts and decide not to help Jack, however, Hitchcock agrees to help Jack with his problems. Hitchcock and Jack become a CSI duo and try to get to the bottom of his aunt’s disappearance, and maybe even his mother’s death.
The mystery aspect of this book is amazing. There are cliffhangers, different points of view, unexpected twists, it has so much mystery! Being placed in 1950’s San-Francisco is a great setting for this story and it perfectly represents the historical setting from that time.
Overall this book is definitely one of my favorites. I love this timeframe that the book was set in and I love Alfred Hitchcock movies. The length was perfect for the story and didn’t have any excessive/inexcessive description or detailing. The plot was perfectly planned and it kept me fully interested without the book.

[Kate N. Ewing · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. Really! What a clever, interesting concept! An amazing, wonderfully accurate setting of 1950’s San Francisco! A boy trying to solve a mystery with Hitchcock! Each chapter title is the name of a Hitchcock movie! Cartoon storyboard at the beginning of each chapter! Fascinating notes about Hitchcock and his movies at the end! Alas, it was as if the author kept rewriting everything to fit the chapter titles, or to force things in a particular direction. The characters ended up being caricatures and the plot had so many holes in it, it could have been titled, “A Sniff at the Swiss Cheese”. The ending was so contrived, so implausible, so ridiculous, I found myself shaking my head and calling out, “Oh, come on!” I’m sorry, I really can’t recommend this book. Unless you are a 3rd or 4th grader with a great knowledge of and appreciation for Hitchcock’s movies. Then I think you’d love it.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. The author obviously loves Hitchcock and the plot was kind of interesting, if implausible, but it just didn't come together for me. Maybe because I grew up reading The Three Investigators, and that Hitchcock is just too indelibly imprinted for me. The chapter titles are all movie names and each one starts with a storyboard, which is clever, but I didn't spot the kind of Easter eggs I would have expected in a book written by a big fan. There is a list of the movies in the back, with some trivia about each one.

There is some clever writing, but although I'd say most of the loose ends were tied up, it just wasn't enough. I enjoyed it and am glad I picked it up, but it wasn't life-changing or anything and I probably won't read it again.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder! Mystery! Suspense! Kidnapping! Orphan Jack is taken in by his aunt Edith who treats him like a slave. His mother drover her car off a cliff and died, yet there was no body ever found. When aunt Edith goes missing from her room at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, Jack enlists the aid of another guest at the hotel, Alfred Hitchcock himself. Great story with some plot twists and humorous events.

[Janna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although not targeted at adult audiences, I still really enjoyed it and imagined Hitch's voice speaking when I read his dialogue. I also loved the fact that each chapter was named after a Hitchcock film title; I was surprised at how many he worked on in the 1920s.

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

SanFrancisco of the time comes alive. Lovely characters!

[Natalie Hausknecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 8-year-old daughter loved this mystery. She described it as funny and intriguing with good twists. She read it straight through without getting distracted.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspenseful, fast read that doesn't depend on the reader knowing much about Alfred Hitchcock.

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this YA book! If you like Hitchcock at all, this will just delight you!

[Sophia Tseng · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute fairy tale of a book involving kidnapping, wigs, friendly chocolate shop proprietors, and even the quashing of some racial stereotypes. A jaunty romp through the good old times in SF.

[Barb Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleven-year-old Jack is at the funeral of his mother who has committed suicide. His father died in the war which means Jack is an orphan. He ends up under the guardianship of his chocoholic Aunt Edith who lives in the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. It is clear from the start that auntie wants money from Jack. She is abusive and loves chocolate, eating it in front of Jack and not offering him a thing. Ah, the cruelty. I know if someone had given me that anniversary box of chocolate like Jack, I would have gobbled it up and auntie would have never known it existed. Instead, nice Jack, brings the aunt the chocolate and discovers that the famous Alfred Hitchcock lives across the hall from him in a hotel room. When Aunt Addict, I mean Edith, disappears and a ransom note appears, the two team up to figure out the mystery.

This ambitious attempt to blend all-things-Hitchcock with the orphan story genre works for the most part, but the pacing suffers with long descriptions that are slow at times. Perhaps if I was an avid Hitchcock fan I would see parts as playing homage to his movies, but I just didn't think some of the chapters advanced the plot's action. I kept setting the book down because the mystery wasn't clipping along. I did my usual in those spots - I hit warp speed reading mode.

Some of the twists were predictable (chocolate, setup, code) while others were not. Of course, I did recognize that one of the obvious clues was a MacGuffin, a technique popularized by Alfred Hitchcock. Unfortunately, that is the extent of my Hitchcock mania and I haven't seen one of his films in over twenty years so I can't say I appreciated this book like I was supposed to. Some obvious Hitchcock nods are: false identities, the article on birds, wrongly accused protagonists, names, and more. References to movies are probably sprinkled throughout but I know I missed a lot. While this is a mystery that pays homage to Hitchcock, it also is the orphan story that reminded me of "The Little Princess" except the protagonist is a boy.

The author does capture Hitchcock's creepy humor and he also adds some film theory that adds depth. The author's note is very helpful in understanding what he set forth to accomplish and the Appendix gives terrific summaries on each of the 35 chapters that reference a Hitchcock movie. I wondered if that was why some chapters seemed forced to me. Perhaps the author was trying too hard to make the story fit with the movie-titled chapter.

The unusual and brilliant mix of of techniques in film and literature lift this above your average fare. Each chapter is foreshadowed by a storyboard illustration showing the protagonist in some scene. This is a clever way to mimic the movies where storyboards are a common technique. Storyboards are also used in children's picture books. Jack is an amazing artist making illustrations from memory that is better than your average child. He creates mystery storyboards if you like. That doesn't exist in literature but maybe it should - it was a clever way to show how Jack organizes his thoughts.

This also reminds me of how Hitchcock was known for his unusual film techniques that added tension to his films. Jack's gift adds to his character traits and makes him interesting as a character - a creative way of echoing movies in literature. I did notice that while I looked at the storyboards closely at first, I did less as the story went on. I really thought the book was too long at 400 pages. You'll have to decide yourself. If you love Hitchcock, then you should definitely read this.

[Jeffrey Westhoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never got into the Hardy Boys books when I was younger. The mystery series that captured my imagination was called Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators. The investigators -- Pete Crenshaw, Bob Andrews and the splendidly named Jupiter Jones -- were a trio of young detectives whose secret headquarters was hidden in a junk yard. You had to climb through the trunk of a wrecked car to get in. That right there had the Hardy Boys beat by a mile.

Written by Robert Arthur and originally published in the 1960s, the books all featured introductions by Alfred Hitchcock (in my youth I believed he actually wrote them). In the final chapter the Three Investigators would visit Alfred Hitchcock in his office to report how they solved the mystery, and he would tell them how awfully clever they were. My memory is hazy as to why they reported to the famous film director; perhaps he sponsored their agency.

I wondered if Jim Averbeck was familiar with the Three Investigators series as I read his middle-grade mystery "A Hitch at the Fairmont," which also has the director helping a young man solve a crime. In Averbeck's book, though, Hitchcock is far more involved in the action.

Following his mother's suicide, 11-year-old Jack Fair is living in San Francisco's luxurious Fairmont Hotel with his Aunt Edith. The aunt is only slightly less abusive than the Dursleys in the Harry Potter books, so Jack is miserable in his new life. He gets a boost, though, when he discovers Alfred Hitchcock is staying in the suite next door. The year is 1956, and Hitchcock is in San Francisco to scout locations for his next film, "Vertigo."

When Aunt Edith goes missing, Jack turns to Hitchcock for help. The director agrees to offer his expertise, reluctantly at first, but he grows to admire young Jack's talents as their adventures progress.

The story, naturally enough, feels like a Hitchcock movie with false identities, shadowy organizations and a dizzying climax on an American landmark. Because the story is set in San Francisco, it doesn't take a lot of guessing to figure which landmark.

Anyone familiar with the real Alfred Hitchcock would find it difficult to believe he would team up with an 11-year-old boy, much less adopt disguises to track down criminals, but in his afterword Averbeck states he imagined the character as a blend of the historical Hitchcock and the macabre, avuncular figure Hitchcock played introducing each episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." The young readers Averbeck is targeting are unlikely to know the difference.

The period details are nicely described, and Averbeck even introduces his readers to film theory as Hitchcock describes how a director feeds information to his viewers. Each chapter title is taken from a Hitchcock film (including some obscure ones), and each chapter opens with a storyboard illustration of an upcoming scene.

Although the book contains perhaps one subplot too many, the story advances at a crisp pace, and Averbeck matches Hitchcock's slightly creepy sense of humor. The book is fun, and any young mystery fan should enjoy spending a few good evenings reading it.

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack's quite an artist for his age. He can draw almost anything, even places and people he's seen very briefly. All he has to do is close his eyes and grip a pencil and something magic happens. Sadly, the only exception to this is his late father who was killed in World war II. No matter how hard Jack tries, he comes up blank. Before she vanished by driving a car into the ocean in an apparent suicide, his mom, a small time actress, told him that he looked just like his father.
The story opens in 1956 with Jack being hauled off from Los Angeles to San Francisco by his aunt Edith who not only is cruel and cold, but didn't give him time to pack his own belongings. Instead, she packed two crates, one with some of his stuff, the other with stuff his mother left behind.
When they arrive in San Francisco, Jack discovers that his aunt is a permanent resident on an upper floor in the Fairmont Hotel and doesn't trust anyone. She's addicted to fancy chocolates which he has to get from a shop on the hotel's main floor whenever she's out. When he goes to get on the elevator for a late evening chocolate run, he's greeted by a large man whose voice is eerily familiar. Jack recognizes one of his favorite TV personalities, Alfred Hitchcock and notices that he enters the room next to Aunt Edith's.
When he returns with the chocolates, Jack discovers that his aunt has been kidnapped and a ransom note has been spelled out on her bed in chocolates she'd discarded because of their flavor. At first, he's frozen and ready to panic. What can a ten year old boy who has recently been orphaned do? When he remembers who is in the next room, he begins to take control of things. It is a challenge to convince Mr. Hitchcock to help him, especially since he has a fear of policemen, but despite a comedy of errors when they try to report Aunt Edith's abduction, Jack manages to get Alfred to help figure out what really happened to his aunt, why one of the supposed ransom notes may not have come from whoever grabbed her and what the real significance of the seven characters on the silver coffin-shaped charm allegedly left by his deceased father is. Before the crime is solved, Jack and his hero have disrupted the funeral of a perfect stranger by singing bawdy lyrics, dressed in drag, outwitted some really evil people and discovered an amazing secret about Jack's late father. This is a fun read for tweens who like mysteries and books with plenty of action. If they know anything about the history of early television, that will make this even more fun to read. It's a book worthy of a juvenile Edgar nomination as well as being in pretty much every public and school library.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read many children's mystery books in my time and unfortunately many of them start to blur together after a while because so many of the elements are similar. I always love it when I come across one that is different enough to stand out. A Hitch at the Fairmont is different enough to stand out.

The book starts with Jack attending his mother's funeral at a funeral home, but their's no body to bury. After getting caught checking out the dead bodies in the basement, Jack is whisked away to the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco by his Aunt Edith. Unfortunately for Jack, his Aunt Edith is not at all a nice person and she keeps hounding him about a code or series of numbers that he knows nothing about. All he has left of his old life is his ability to remember everything he sees and draw it accurately and the dog tags and coffin necklace from the father he never knew.

Everything changes when Aunt Edith disappears and Jack must find her quickly before he ends up in an orphanage. The inclusion of Alfred Hitchcock in the book creates a really interesting subplot, especially with each chapter named after one of Hitchcock's movies (it took me a while to notice this). I developed a sudden urge to watch some of Hitchcock's movies. The inclusion of storyboard illustrations at the beginning of each chapter was another clever touch that I enjoyed. I also learned a lot about Hitchcock and how he made such successful movies. It was also nice to read Averbeck's notes at the end about what he fictionalized and what he didn't.

The Fairmont Hotel was a great setting for a mystery and Averbeck takes every advantage of it. I would love to visit the place.

As I read the book I quickly figured some things out before the characters did, it made me want to leap into the book and show Jack some things he's missed (luckily he does eventually figure it out). And so I thought I knew where the book was going until, BANG, the author through in some very unexpected twists that changed the direction of the story altogether. The best mysteries do this, creating an enjoyable story that still manages to surprise you without leaving you completely in the dark.

A great book for readers who like longer more involved mysteries with lots of intrigue and humor.

[Amy Seto · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s 1956 and 11 year old Jack Fair is mourning the sudden loss of his beloved single mother who tragically drove her car off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean. Now Jack must live with his only relative the repulsive Aunt Edith in her suite at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Aunt Edith cruelly orders Jack around until the night she mysteriously disappears leaving only a ransom note written in chocolates on the bedspread. Alone and afraid, Jack has no idea what to do. Luckily, the famous filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock is an expert on criminals and he’s staying in the suite next door. Using Hitchcock’s film savvy and Jack’s artistic talent, the unlikely pair uncover clues and chase the kidnappers through the city’s many iconic landmarks, from Chinatown to the Golden Gate Bridge.

This action-packed mystery is written in third person from Jack’s perspective. He’s a reluctant hero, but he becomes more confident and resourceful as the story unfolds. Along with Jack the story features a cast of distinctive and broadly drawn characters, including San Francisco itself, that keep the story moving along. Although the book is lengthy, it is an absorbing read due to several chase scenes and humorous dialogue. Elements of the plot are predictable, however there are enough twists to keep readers on their toes. Each chapter, named after a Hitchcock film, begins with a 6 panel storyboard that highlights a sequence to be found in that chapter. In the context of the story Hitchcock explains storyboards and their use for films. The appendix includes information on all the chapter title films, including year released, plot summary, trivia, and where to look for Hitchcock’s famous cameo. Notes on Hitchcock’s personal and professional life are also included in the back matter. Knowledge of Hitchcock films is not necessary to enjoy this book. However, many readers will be inspired to watch his films making this a great title for a parent-child book club. You could also have adults read David F. Dodge’s To Catch a Thief, while kids read this title.


Full Review at Chapter Book Explorer: http://chapterbookexplorer.blogspot.c...

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Fair’s mother is dead. She drove her car off a cliff—intentionally, it appears—and now Jack must live with a cruel and demanding aunt he has never known. Still, to Jack it seems better than living in an orphanage. When his aunt is kidnapped from their hotel, Jack is generally afraid he’ll end up in one anyway. Luckily for him, legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock is staying in the same hotel, and he agrees to help Jack in his attempts to find his aunt. There is much more to the story than meets the eye, however, and their adventure is a dangerous and exciting one.

There are a lot of great things about this book: the chapters are all named after Hitchcock films, storyboard-like illustrations appear at the beginning of every chapter, the mystery is intriguing and surprising, and of course there’s Alfred Hitchcock himself as a character. Averbeck has done an admirable job of representing the director, who is portrayed realistically within the confines of the story. Hitchcock fans should immediately be drawn to this novel. Sadly, this may just be a limitation, as well.

While the Hitchcock name was what initially interested me in the book, I’m afraid it also limits the audience. How many Hitch fans are there in middle schools across America? So many of our children seem to prefer blood and gore in their scary stories rather than the intense suspense of the Hitchcock films that I’m not sure how big the audience actually is for the one. I hope I’m wrong. I hope kids find this book and love it, and then will be inspired to turn to the director’s classic films.

[Amitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blogged this review over at Monkey Poop
A Hitch at the Fairmont by Jim Averbeck is a middle grade mystery that takes place at San Francisco’s Fairmont hotel in the 1950s. The creepy, mysterious tone of the book is established right from the very first chapter where our main character, Jack, winds up checking out the dead bodies in the basement of the funeral home where his mother’s funeral is being held. When Jack is taken to live with his hideously (and hilariously) evil aunt at the Fairmont hotel, who should he happen to meet but the master of suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock, right in time to help investigate Jack’s aunt’s very sudden disappearance.

The writing is vivid and cinematic, with witty dialogue, clever theatre-related metaphors, interspersed with action and slapstick comedy. Jack’s pathetic predicament instantly captures the heart, and the eponymous Hitch is a wonderfully fleshed-out character. The text is accompanied by storyboard style illustrations which, while captivating and completely appropriate to the story, were a little confusing in their placement at times. If there is any real drawback to the story, it is the length. At 400 pages, this is a whopper of a book, but for the most part the pacing is good, and the premise is so intriguing it’s fun anyway.

A must-read for cozy middle grade mystery fans.

PS Don’t miss the list of Hitchcock films at the back. I’m going to have to re-watch some of these!

Disclaimer: Review of ARC received free from the publisher.

[Judith Nasse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a deliciously, witty book that the young reader won’t want to put down, but then when he’s finished, he’ll wish he had more of it to read. Jim Averbeck has crafted a superb and fast-paced who-dun-it starring eleven year old Jack Fair whose mother has been killed in an automobile accident. His Aunt Edith arrives to take him to live in her suite at the classy Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. He has to put up with her making him fetch her chocolates for herself and her pet chinchilla Muffin, that is until she disappears. It’s 1956 and the man in the suite next to theirs is no other than the film maker Alfred Hitchcock, who Jack enlists to help him solve the mystery of his aunt’s disappearance. This leads to layer after layer of mystery to expose.

Jim Averbeck has created the Fairmont Hotel, and indeed San Francisco herself, more as characters than setting, reminiscing about sites still there and mourning those now gone from their original locations, like Blums and Laughing Sally. I can attest to the authenticity of Jim’s most careful research having grown up near San Francisco in that era, visiting “The City” often. As well, each chapter refers to one of Hitchcock’s movies, interweaving the motif of the movie into the plot of the book. As a fan of Hitchcock, it was fun to watch this unfold. The young reader need not know of Hitchcock’s work to enjoy the mystery of this exciting tale. She’ll just enjoy guessing what happened while deeply identifying with the orphaned Jack and his plight. It would be fun to see this book made into a movie. I highly recommend this engaging book, not just for the middle grade reader, but for the young at heart of any age.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Jack's mother drives off a cliff and into the ocean, he's left an orphan and is forced to go live with his unpleasant Aunt Edith at the Fairmont Hotel. Edith is rude and doesn't seem interested in having a young boy around, and Jack isn't interested in continuing to live with her. But when she disappears and Jack finds a ransom note, he is left with a choice to find Aunt Edith or be left in the hands of Social Services. He's spurred on in his quest by a chance encounter with Alfred Hitchcock, who becomes his partner in trying to solve the mystery of Edith's disappearance.

What a well-crafted juvenile mystery this was, constructed much like a Hitchcock film and almost like an homage to the director's works. It was suspenseful and difficult to predict, and I'll definitely recommend this to any suspense, adventure, or mystery fans who come to me for recommendations! My quibble with this book - and it is petty and tiny - is that setting the book in 12-point double-spaced Times New Roman font made me feel like I was reading a draft of the book at times, especially when there would be copyediting errors.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Fair has just been orphaned by his mother's suicide when he is swept off to the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco by his aunt Edith. Edith is a large, vicious woman who only loves chocolate and her pet chinchilla. It is clear that she thinks Jack has some knowledge of an inheritance he is supposed to share with her. When aunt Edith disappears, Jack enlists the help of Alfred Hitchcock who is also staying in the hotel. Hitch and Jack must figure out who kidnapped aunt Edith and why. Their search leads them around San Francisco and through the back of the house of the hotel. Jack learns more about his family history and what it means to be courageous like his father.

I really enjoyed this mystery even if I did think it was a tad too long. I liked how each chapter was a Hitchcock movie and opened with a storyboard for a scene from the chapter. While the mystery was a bit over the top, it did seem pretty believable and nothing Jack or Hitch experienced was unrealistic. I have only seen a couple Hitchcock movies, so I am definitely not an expert not will young readers be. This might be the perfect opportunity for them to check out some of Hitchcock's catalog of movies.

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did I like this book so much? 1. The 1956 San Francisco setting. I grew up in that time period and I love San Francisco. Towards the end there's an exciting scene under and on the Golden Gate Bridge that was fun to visualize. 2. The main character Jack is a resourceful 11-yr-old living in the Fairmont hotel with his dreadful aunt following his mother's suicide. Jack also has a special talent for drawing anything he has seen. 3. He accidentally discovers the famous director Alfred Hitchcock is staying in the next room. When his aunt disappears he enlists the aid of Hitchcock to find her--and they discover a lot more in the process. 4. It was so interesting to learn more about storyboarding as Hitch and Jack make plans to solve the mystery. I enjoyed the storyboard/comic strip at the beginning of each chapter that previewed some of what was coming. 5. Each chapter is named for one of Hitchcock's movies, which are listed in an appendix with info about each film. It was a delightful book and a well-thought-out mystery with plenty of twists to keep the suspense going--kind of Hitchcockian!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a 12-year-old, I would have absolutely loved this book! Reading it as an adult, I thought about how kids today would react to it. I was kind of a... weird kid... or a nerd. I don’t know. Most kids didn’t watch old movies and read all the time, but that’s what I did. I loved The Birds and Rear Window. To this day, Rear Window is one of my favorite movies. I watch it every summer. I’m glad this book exists for kids like me. Kids who were, well, normal, probably wouldn’t appreciate this book as much.

As I read, I tried to ignore the adult voice in my head saying, “Any adult would never do that, let alone a famous one” and “That could never happen,” and “I know orphanages aren’t fun, but would he really want to find Aunt Edith, who acts like Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spicer from James and the Giant Peach???" I loved the twist, I loved the main character, I loved the jokes, and I loved the solution to the mystery. Overall, a delightful, fun mystery!