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Grimacres Whodunnit #1
Murder! By Narwhal!
From the internationally bestselling creator of Claude and Mr Penguin comes a brand-new tongue-in-cheek murder mystery series, stylishly illustrated in black and white, and perfect for fans of Robin Stevens, Enola Holmes and Knives Out.
When the tyrannical family patriarch Sir Ignatious Gristle is murdered on his 90th birthday at his country estate, every one of his gathered family members is a suspect. Trapped by a snowstorm with no way to contact the police, it's up to his mettlesome granddaughter, Edna, and her trusted tortoise, Charles Darwin, to determine whodunnit!
Full of head-scratching clues, page-turning twists and a lot people acting suspiciously this is the first in a funny, spoofy middle-grade murder mystery series from bestselling author Alex T. Smith.
When the tyrannical family patriarch Sir Ignatious Gristle is murdered on his 90th birthday at his country estate, every one of his gathered family members is a suspect. Trapped by a snowstorm with no way to contact the police, it's up to his mettlesome granddaughter, Edna, and her trusted tortoise, Charles Darwin, to determine whodunnit!
Full of head-scratching clues, page-turning twists and a lot people acting suspiciously this is the first in a funny, spoofy middle-grade murder mystery series from bestselling author Alex T. Smith.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2024
29 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
About the author
Alex T. Smith
113 books86 followersAlex T. Smith is the creator of the much-loved and bestselling Claude fiction series for early readers. He was the official World Book Day illustrator in 2014, and other recent accolades include the UKLA Picture Book Award for Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion and the Children’s Book of the World Illustration Award for illustrating Dodie Smith’s The Hundred and One Dalmatians. When not working, Alex enjoys doodling in his sketchbook, reading, people-watching, and eavesdropping. He lives under the watchful eye of his small canine companions, who are a constant source of inspiration to him.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
November 3, 2024
A delightful middle grade mystery with a funny, loveable main character. I genuinely couldn’t guess whodunnit but had a blast picking up on clues with Edna and trying to piece it all together. Perfect for anyone who loved The Swifts, The Mysterious Benedict Society, or the Eerie-on-Sea series!
October 24, 2024
A classic locked room mystery for 9-12 year olds. Set in a huge old house called Grimacres, grouchy old Ignatius Gristle is murdered the day before his birthday and every member of his family has a motive. Edna (his granddaughter), her tortoise Charles Darwin, and her best friend Archie, are determined to find the killer and solve the case!
I REALLY enjoyed it, it's really funny, has some great plot twists, fantastic characters, and classic Christie vibes.
The names of the characters had me chuckling and the different relationships within the family were really well written.
Pleased to say that I figured out the culprit before the big reveal and felt very proud of myself! 😅
I REALLY enjoyed it, it's really funny, has some great plot twists, fantastic characters, and classic Christie vibes.
The names of the characters had me chuckling and the different relationships within the family were really well written.
Pleased to say that I figured out the culprit before the big reveal and felt very proud of myself! 😅
January 20, 2025
I admittedly bought this because the Waterstone’s special edition had a narwhal printed on what I now know is called the fore edge (the opposite of the spine). What a great whodunit for a younger audience! Thoroughly enjoyed all the characters, particularly Edna, Archie and Mrs C, and the illustrations are excellent.
November 30, 2024
One of the best books I’ve read this year
May 15, 2025
Stylistically, this is very similar to A Dictionary of Scoundrels; so much so that I wondered if they were written by the same person.
However, this mystery makes much more sense and gives much greater satisfaction. Six stars.
Two notes. There is a lesbian couple but no one thinks it worth mentioning. And the house is simply sweltering with cardigans.
However, this mystery makes much more sense and gives much greater satisfaction. Six stars.
Two notes. There is a lesbian couple but no one thinks it worth mentioning. And the house is simply sweltering with cardigans.
August 17, 2025
I loved it
January 13, 2025
4.75⭐
Edna Gristle has always dreamed of being the first one to discover a dead body but little does she think that this dream will be realised on the weekend her curmudgeonly old grandfather summons them all to Grimacres, the secluded Gristle family mansion. It is up to Edna and her friend, Archie (with help from her pet turtle, Charles Darwin) to solve this seemingly impossible mystery. To complicate things, they're snowed in and everyone in the house seems to be harbouring their own secrets.
This book was so much fun! I enjoyed reading it much more than I did with the majority of the recent adult mystery novels. Edna, our spunky protagonist, is an absolute delight and having her tell the story in the first person was an excellent choice. She reminds me a little of Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce. The rest of the characters are well written too, the pacing was consistent and the mystery was nicely laid out.
I think I've just read too many mysteries so I was able to figure out the murderer quite quickly and wasn't surprised by a number of the twists. But this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book because the story was more complex than just that one mystery, there was a red herring that I fell for and, even though I figured out the murderer and how they did it, I didn't manage to identify their motive beforehand. Edna's final reveal of the murderer was also done in a very nice Poirot-esque way.
I also loved the illustrations; unfortunately the proof copy doesn't have all of them and now I wish I had a finished copy of the book! I hope this is going to be a series because I really want to see more of Edna and co.
(Parents, you might want to read the book yourself before deciding whether it's suitable for your younger middle grade readers).
Edna Gristle has always dreamed of being the first one to discover a dead body but little does she think that this dream will be realised on the weekend her curmudgeonly old grandfather summons them all to Grimacres, the secluded Gristle family mansion. It is up to Edna and her friend, Archie (with help from her pet turtle, Charles Darwin) to solve this seemingly impossible mystery. To complicate things, they're snowed in and everyone in the house seems to be harbouring their own secrets.
This book was so much fun! I enjoyed reading it much more than I did with the majority of the recent adult mystery novels. Edna, our spunky protagonist, is an absolute delight and having her tell the story in the first person was an excellent choice. She reminds me a little of Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce. The rest of the characters are well written too, the pacing was consistent and the mystery was nicely laid out.
I think I've just read too many mysteries so I was able to figure out the murderer quite quickly and wasn't surprised by a number of the twists. But this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book because the story was more complex than just that one mystery, there was a red herring that I fell for and, even though I figured out the murderer and how they did it, I didn't manage to identify their motive beforehand. Edna's final reveal of the murderer was also done in a very nice Poirot-esque way.
I also loved the illustrations; unfortunately the proof copy doesn't have all of them and now I wish I had a finished copy of the book! I hope this is going to be a series because I really want to see more of Edna and co.
(Parents, you might want to read the book yourself before deciding whether it's suitable for your younger middle grade readers).
October 31, 2024
4.5 stars
This was such a fun locked door mystery for middle grade readers. Even though it was aimed at a younger audience I had a great time reading and actually laughed out loud a few times at Edna’s antics. I did figure out who the killer was very early on, I figured out what 13 meant and I knew what was just scratching her brain. However there was still lots I didn’t figure out so plenty to be unveiled at the end. I loved the cast of characters, with fun names like mrs crumpet, and also diversity. I hope there will be more mysteries with Edna as detective, I would certainly read more
This was such a fun locked door mystery for middle grade readers. Even though it was aimed at a younger audience I had a great time reading and actually laughed out loud a few times at Edna’s antics. I did figure out who the killer was very early on, I figured out what 13 meant and I knew what was just scratching her brain. However there was still lots I didn’t figure out so plenty to be unveiled at the end. I loved the cast of characters, with fun names like mrs crumpet, and also diversity. I hope there will be more mysteries with Edna as detective, I would certainly read more
October 31, 2024
This is a perfect book to entice younger readers into murder mystery books! Although aimed at younger readers, adults will still find it quite funny with lots of twists and turns, which kept you guessing all the way to the end.
Edna is the main character who at 13, along with her pet tortoise Charles Darwin, set off to investigate her Grandads murder. I loved how she found clues, and she eventually piece it all together. It definitely has Enola Homes or Knifes Out vibes! I'm looking forward to the next adventure with Edna!
Read via @NetGalley_UK.
Edna is the main character who at 13, along with her pet tortoise Charles Darwin, set off to investigate her Grandads murder. I loved how she found clues, and she eventually piece it all together. It definitely has Enola Homes or Knifes Out vibes! I'm looking forward to the next adventure with Edna!
Read via @NetGalley_UK.
December 26, 2025
Na początku muszę to powiedzieć jasno:
TA KSIĄŻKA MA W TYTULE MORDERSTWO I NARWALA.
Już samo to sprawia, że nie da się przejść obok niej obojętnie. Bo jak to?! Morderstwo?! Kieł?! Narwal?! 🐋😲
Oczywiście musiałam ją przeczytać. „Morderstwo! I kieł narwala” to książka, przy której mój mózg pracował na najwyższych obrotach, a ja co chwilę mówiłam:
– Dobra, to już wiem, kto zabił…
(po czym pięć stron później)
– CO?! Jednak nie?! 🤯
Akcja dzieje się w bardzo mrocznym, dziwnym i trochę podejrzanym miejscu, które nazywa się Mroczakry. Sama nazwa brzmi jakby ktoś tam na pewno coś knuł. Mieszka tam rodzina Gryzłowów i szczerze? To chyba najbardziej podejrzana rodzina świata. Każdy ma jakieś sekrety, każdy coś ukrywa i każdy wygląda, jakby mógł kogoś… no wiecie… zabić 😅 A ofiarą jest Ignatius Gryzłow, bardzo stary, bardzo bogaty i bardzo irytujący pan, którego – uwaga – ktoś zamordował KŁEM NARWALA. Tak. Nie nożem. Nie trucizną. KŁEM NARWALA.
I już w tym momencie wiedziałam, że to nie będzie zwykła książka detektywistyczna.
Najlepsza w tym wszystkim jest Edna, wnuczka Ignatiusa. Edna jest super, bo:
✔ jest mądra
✔ nie daje sobą rządzić dorosłym
✔ zadaje niewygodne pytania
✔ i nie boi się grzebać w rodzinnych sekretach
Czyli dokładnie taka bohaterka, jaką lubię najbardziej 💪📖
Zamiast siedzieć cicho i robić to, co każą dorośli, Edna sama bierze się za śledztwo. I robi to lepiej niż połowa dorosłych w tej książce (a może i na świecie 😏).
Podczas czytania czułam się jak detektyw-amator. Cały czas myślałam:
– A może to on?
– Nie, ona wygląda zbyt niewinnie…
– Dobra, TO NA PEWNO ONA.
– Chwila… A CO JEŚLI WSZYSCY?!
Każdy rozdział dodaje nowe podejrzenia, nowe sekrety i nowe „aha!”, po których okazuje się, że jednak nic nie jest takie, jak się wydawało. Autor ewidentnie lubi robić czytelnikowi psikusa 😜 Co jest ekstra fajne, to humor. Książka jest o morderstwie, ale wcale nie jest straszna. Jest raczej dziwna, zabawna i momentami totalnie absurdalna. Są tu opisy, które sprawiają, że chcesz się śmiać, nawet jeśli akcja jest poważna. A ilustracje tylko to podkręcają – serio, niektóre rysunki mówią więcej niż tysiąc słów 😂🎨
Podobało mi się też to, że książka nie traktuje młodych czytelników jak małych dzieci. Trzeba myśleć, łączyć fakty i czasem się trochę pogubić – ale w taki fajny sposób. To nie jest historia, którą czyta się „bezmyślnie”. Tu mózg dostaje zadanie specjalne 🧠🔍
Jeśli miałabym znaleźć minus… to chyba tylko taki, że książka się kończy, a ja chciałam jeszcze. Bo serio, po zakończeniu miałam ochotę powiedzieć:
– Dobra, Edna, kiedy następne śledztwo?
Podsumowując:
📌 jeśli lubisz zagadki
📌 jeśli lubisz dziwne rodziny
📌 jeśli lubisz humor
📌 jeśli uważasz, że kieł narwala to idealna broń w książce (nawet jeśli w prawdziwym życiu raczej nie)
👉 to ta książka jest dla Ciebie. Polecam ją wszystkim dwunastolatkom i starszym, którzy lubią się śmiać, myśleć i podejrzewać absolutnie każdego. Ja daję jej 10/10 podejrzanych punktów ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TA KSIĄŻKA MA W TYTULE MORDERSTWO I NARWALA.
Już samo to sprawia, że nie da się przejść obok niej obojętnie. Bo jak to?! Morderstwo?! Kieł?! Narwal?! 🐋😲
Oczywiście musiałam ją przeczytać. „Morderstwo! I kieł narwala” to książka, przy której mój mózg pracował na najwyższych obrotach, a ja co chwilę mówiłam:
– Dobra, to już wiem, kto zabił…
(po czym pięć stron później)
– CO?! Jednak nie?! 🤯
Akcja dzieje się w bardzo mrocznym, dziwnym i trochę podejrzanym miejscu, które nazywa się Mroczakry. Sama nazwa brzmi jakby ktoś tam na pewno coś knuł. Mieszka tam rodzina Gryzłowów i szczerze? To chyba najbardziej podejrzana rodzina świata. Każdy ma jakieś sekrety, każdy coś ukrywa i każdy wygląda, jakby mógł kogoś… no wiecie… zabić 😅 A ofiarą jest Ignatius Gryzłow, bardzo stary, bardzo bogaty i bardzo irytujący pan, którego – uwaga – ktoś zamordował KŁEM NARWALA. Tak. Nie nożem. Nie trucizną. KŁEM NARWALA.
I już w tym momencie wiedziałam, że to nie będzie zwykła książka detektywistyczna.
Najlepsza w tym wszystkim jest Edna, wnuczka Ignatiusa. Edna jest super, bo:
✔ jest mądra
✔ nie daje sobą rządzić dorosłym
✔ zadaje niewygodne pytania
✔ i nie boi się grzebać w rodzinnych sekretach
Czyli dokładnie taka bohaterka, jaką lubię najbardziej 💪📖
Zamiast siedzieć cicho i robić to, co każą dorośli, Edna sama bierze się za śledztwo. I robi to lepiej niż połowa dorosłych w tej książce (a może i na świecie 😏).
Podczas czytania czułam się jak detektyw-amator. Cały czas myślałam:
– A może to on?
– Nie, ona wygląda zbyt niewinnie…
– Dobra, TO NA PEWNO ONA.
– Chwila… A CO JEŚLI WSZYSCY?!
Każdy rozdział dodaje nowe podejrzenia, nowe sekrety i nowe „aha!”, po których okazuje się, że jednak nic nie jest takie, jak się wydawało. Autor ewidentnie lubi robić czytelnikowi psikusa 😜 Co jest ekstra fajne, to humor. Książka jest o morderstwie, ale wcale nie jest straszna. Jest raczej dziwna, zabawna i momentami totalnie absurdalna. Są tu opisy, które sprawiają, że chcesz się śmiać, nawet jeśli akcja jest poważna. A ilustracje tylko to podkręcają – serio, niektóre rysunki mówią więcej niż tysiąc słów 😂🎨
Podobało mi się też to, że książka nie traktuje młodych czytelników jak małych dzieci. Trzeba myśleć, łączyć fakty i czasem się trochę pogubić – ale w taki fajny sposób. To nie jest historia, którą czyta się „bezmyślnie”. Tu mózg dostaje zadanie specjalne 🧠🔍
Jeśli miałabym znaleźć minus… to chyba tylko taki, że książka się kończy, a ja chciałam jeszcze. Bo serio, po zakończeniu miałam ochotę powiedzieć:
– Dobra, Edna, kiedy następne śledztwo?
Podsumowując:
📌 jeśli lubisz zagadki
📌 jeśli lubisz dziwne rodziny
📌 jeśli lubisz humor
📌 jeśli uważasz, że kieł narwala to idealna broń w książce (nawet jeśli w prawdziwym życiu raczej nie)
👉 to ta książka jest dla Ciebie. Polecam ją wszystkim dwunastolatkom i starszym, którzy lubią się śmiać, myśleć i podejrzewać absolutnie każdego. Ja daję jej 10/10 podejrzanych punktów ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
May 16, 2025
CAWPILE 6.86
3.5 STARS
Read for Buzzwordathon Cover Prompt for May 2025- an eye on the cover.
I had picked another book for this prompt but started to feel a bit slumpy so picked a fast paced middle grade to help.
I really liked this- Edna is a unique main character, the whole family are quite diverse- I loved the fact that despite it being a kids book Edna had an auntie who was in a gay relationship, her great aunt had dementia, her best friend had gone non-verbal after a stressful event- it didn't shy away from that and I loved how normal and accepting it felt. The mystery element was great, very cunning- I loved all the clues and the illustrations are stunning.
Really hope that this series continues- gotta love a tortoise called Charles Darwin!
If you liked this, you might also like The Swifts by Beth Lincoln.
3.5 STARS
Read for Buzzwordathon Cover Prompt for May 2025- an eye on the cover.
I had picked another book for this prompt but started to feel a bit slumpy so picked a fast paced middle grade to help.
I really liked this- Edna is a unique main character, the whole family are quite diverse- I loved the fact that despite it being a kids book Edna had an auntie who was in a gay relationship, her great aunt had dementia, her best friend had gone non-verbal after a stressful event- it didn't shy away from that and I loved how normal and accepting it felt. The mystery element was great, very cunning- I loved all the clues and the illustrations are stunning.
Really hope that this series continues- gotta love a tortoise called Charles Darwin!
If you liked this, you might also like The Swifts by Beth Lincoln.
February 21, 2025
“As a rule, I am not much of a one to cry. It only leads to a damp eyepatch.”
I am completely charmed by one Edna Gristle - along with her eyepatch, pajamas, and pet tortoise named Charles Darwin.
If you love Agatha Christie’s novels this is what I’d call a (lightly illustrated, perfectly laid out, designed, and intelligently written) children’s version of Agatha-Christie-like work. At over 400 pages, it’s not quick, but incredibly worth it.
Grateful that while in London, recently, my hubby, and I discovered this advertised in the playbill while attending The Mousetrap. It truly turned out to be such a middle grade delight that I hope continues in a series for many books to come.
I am completely charmed by one Edna Gristle - along with her eyepatch, pajamas, and pet tortoise named Charles Darwin.
If you love Agatha Christie’s novels this is what I’d call a (lightly illustrated, perfectly laid out, designed, and intelligently written) children’s version of Agatha-Christie-like work. At over 400 pages, it’s not quick, but incredibly worth it.
Grateful that while in London, recently, my hubby, and I discovered this advertised in the playbill while attending The Mousetrap. It truly turned out to be such a middle grade delight that I hope continues in a series for many books to come.
November 7, 2025
this book was absolutely delightful!!!! i put off finishing it because i didn’t want it to end. now i must demand a sequel from whatever publishing person is in charge of the big red button that lets that happen.
December 12, 2024
4.5 stars
February 8, 2025
Brilliantly written, clever and funny with an excellent cast of characters. We loved it !
Read
February 21, 2025Very good murder mystery
April 14, 2025
Genuinely better than most adult thrillers, and with a much more likeable (and hilarious) main character as well. Plus Charles Darwin the tortoise is the best.
April 25, 2025
This was a lot of fun and such a good easy read
August 22, 2024
I was thrilled to be gifted an ARC of Alex T Smith's new book- Murder! By Narwhal! As a parent and teacher, Alex's books have always been a go-to, and he is definitely an auto-buy children's author for me! This was a different genre it still had all of the quirky characters (Love Mrs Crumpet and Gappy!) and fun writing style that I have come to expect. I love how Alex writes for children but adds entertainment and hidden jokes for the adult readers too.
Murder! By Narwhal! is a 'locked door'/ 'whodoneit'/'and then there was one' mystery but for children! I loved it! I was hooked from the start, trying to follow the twists and turns and of course the detailed clues that were dropped along the way. I was fully invested in helping Edna to crack the case and was still guessing at the end.
Thank you #netgalley for the ARC
Murder! By Narwhal! is a 'locked door'/ 'whodoneit'/'and then there was one' mystery but for children! I loved it! I was hooked from the start, trying to follow the twists and turns and of course the detailed clues that were dropped along the way. I was fully invested in helping Edna to crack the case and was still guessing at the end.
Thank you #netgalley for the ARC
September 7, 2024
This is brilliant! A proper great murder mystery with more twists, turns, suspects and questions than anything! Edna is a gorgeous main character and I loved all of her strange family! This gave me proper Knives Out vibes. It’s funny and charming; I hope there’s more!
January 4, 2025
Fantastic book for upper key stage 2! Will be reading this to my class once I have finished our current class book!
December 14, 2024
Edna (girl) and Charles Darwin (tortoise) are with her parents at the huge country pile the family calls home – well, Edna's aunt and grandad do, as nobody else can cope with the freezing cold mansion and its population of thousands of dead, stuffed animals. Following a bizarre summons out of the blue, Edna, parents, tortoise, sister, black sheep of a step-uncle, his new flooze, aunt, the woman who combines roles of aunt's lover and granddad's doctor, and the old man's unexpected new Italian secretary – they all assemble, with a couple of others besides. And then one dies.
This really pleasantly ramps up the old country house murder plot for the tweenaged audience. And even though Edna is much removed from the expected reader, in poshness, heritage, knowing what a newel post is and so on, she's still incredibly likeable as our guide to all of this, telling us in first person what she can of the plot. There's a lot for her to work out, or as the parents say stick her nose into, as prior capital-I Incidents have happened and new relationships formed that she is still too young to be told about.
But at the same time, while Edna is kind of a knowing little madam, the book isn't an arch, knowing read. It's certainly got a levity to it, but it's not playing this purely for laughs. It does bear comparisons that the blurb has made with "Knives Out", although fortunately is a far superior product. The chapter titles can be great, some metaphors pretty cool, and the whole thing reads very nicely and briskly – there are a lot of short chapters here, with mixed fonts and illustrations and grey sections to spruce things up too.
OK, it's not a fabulous crime for the adult – two mahoosively important things related to the end reveal were easily guessable, I found, but this is for those yet to have their GCSEs. And they get a really witty and clever introduction to the mystery genre. I loved the way adults are both allowed to commit (exceedingly PG-friendly) murder and have both exceedingly PG and exceedingly inappropriate sexual shenanigans. Well, one of them clearly thinks she is, anyway.
This proved to be clever in a slightly different way to the Montgomery Bonbon books, and they deserve to be shelved together, in genre, wit and quality. They both feature a young girl who just easily declares she is an ace detective – and then over the course of the books easily proves why. Oh, and also easily proves why you should be a fan of her series. Which I'm admitting to here – this is a strong four-star effort and I'd happily see much more.
This really pleasantly ramps up the old country house murder plot for the tweenaged audience. And even though Edna is much removed from the expected reader, in poshness, heritage, knowing what a newel post is and so on, she's still incredibly likeable as our guide to all of this, telling us in first person what she can of the plot. There's a lot for her to work out, or as the parents say stick her nose into, as prior capital-I Incidents have happened and new relationships formed that she is still too young to be told about.
But at the same time, while Edna is kind of a knowing little madam, the book isn't an arch, knowing read. It's certainly got a levity to it, but it's not playing this purely for laughs. It does bear comparisons that the blurb has made with "Knives Out", although fortunately is a far superior product. The chapter titles can be great, some metaphors pretty cool, and the whole thing reads very nicely and briskly – there are a lot of short chapters here, with mixed fonts and illustrations and grey sections to spruce things up too.
OK, it's not a fabulous crime for the adult – two mahoosively important things related to the end reveal were easily guessable, I found, but this is for those yet to have their GCSEs. And they get a really witty and clever introduction to the mystery genre. I loved the way adults are both allowed to commit (exceedingly PG-friendly) murder and have both exceedingly PG and exceedingly inappropriate sexual shenanigans. Well, one of them clearly thinks she is, anyway.
This proved to be clever in a slightly different way to the Montgomery Bonbon books, and they deserve to be shelved together, in genre, wit and quality. They both feature a young girl who just easily declares she is an ace detective – and then over the course of the books easily proves why. Oh, and also easily proves why you should be a fan of her series. Which I'm admitting to here – this is a strong four-star effort and I'd happily see much more.
April 29, 2025
I feel like I can’t say too much about this book for fear of giving away too much information, but I will say this – I never thought a whodunnit book for Middle Grade kids would be my absolute favourite book of the year so far and probably will be for the entire year.
Eleven-year-old Edna Gristle and her family go to their ancestral home to celebrate the birthday of her horrible grandfather, who quickly meets a terrible demise. Edna must follow the clues and solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again…
This book features everything I love about murder mysteries – wild snowstorms leaving everyone trapped, a cast of utterly eccentric but still believable characters, a creepy old house which contains many secrets, a helpful retired detective who happens to live nearby, and a satisfactory ending which will leave you guessing up until the last minute (maybe).
Yes, it’s over-the-top, and yes, it’s beautifully cliched, but it is great fun and a perfect introduction to Agatha Christie type novels for your kids. Oh, and it has a tortoise called Charles Darwin as a main character – I’m not sure a book could get any better.
I feel I should also mention the absolute brilliance of the audiobook. We bought the paperback, then listened to Lucy Strange narrating it on Spotify, and it was a sheer delight. She brought every eccentricity to life in the most fantastic way. I’m not sure a narrator has ever been more suited to a book. (And if you want to know what my inner monologue sounds like, it is Lucy Strange as Edna Gristle. Make of that what you will…)
I have been recommending this book to absolutely everyone, young and old. It’s definitely one not to miss out on.
Eleven-year-old Edna Gristle and her family go to their ancestral home to celebrate the birthday of her horrible grandfather, who quickly meets a terrible demise. Edna must follow the clues and solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again…
This book features everything I love about murder mysteries – wild snowstorms leaving everyone trapped, a cast of utterly eccentric but still believable characters, a creepy old house which contains many secrets, a helpful retired detective who happens to live nearby, and a satisfactory ending which will leave you guessing up until the last minute (maybe).
Yes, it’s over-the-top, and yes, it’s beautifully cliched, but it is great fun and a perfect introduction to Agatha Christie type novels for your kids. Oh, and it has a tortoise called Charles Darwin as a main character – I’m not sure a book could get any better.
I feel I should also mention the absolute brilliance of the audiobook. We bought the paperback, then listened to Lucy Strange narrating it on Spotify, and it was a sheer delight. She brought every eccentricity to life in the most fantastic way. I’m not sure a narrator has ever been more suited to a book. (And if you want to know what my inner monologue sounds like, it is Lucy Strange as Edna Gristle. Make of that what you will…)
I have been recommending this book to absolutely everyone, young and old. It’s definitely one not to miss out on.
May 14, 2025
From its quirky title all the way to it shock ending Murder by Narwhal is a fabulous read. The characters are funny, unusual and extremely lovable. Edna Grisle, Archie Crumpet and Charles Darwin the tortoise are one of the most unlikely crime solving teams ever but they are utterly brilliant. When Edna‘s mean, miserly grandfather is murdered in the dead of night, with a narwhal tusk, It’s up to amateur Detective Edna to find the killer. The setting of Grimacres was a clever choice. The detailed description of the interior decor makes it perfect for a murder. The snowstorm that cuts its inhabitants off from the outside world was a stroke of genius and gave lots of Agatha Christie vibes; in fact the whole story did. This is the perfect mystery read for middle grade readers. It has it all: great characters, murder, humour and mystery.
February 23, 2025
Putting aside my doubts over the suitability of a murder mystery aimed at primary aged children - it's not gory or scary but there is a murder by stabbing and another attempted poisoning - I really enjoyed this. As an adult reader, I enjoyed the tongue in cheek references to all the traditional features of a locked room mystery and found the whodunnit element engrossing enough for me to read it in practically one sitting. I loved Edna, the main character, and her quirky family, and can definitely see how this will be the start of a great series. I'll definitely be recommending this to the children in my class who like the Murder Most Unladylike series. It would make a great class reader too. And being Alex T Smith the artwork is fab.
December 13, 2024
A clever, hilarious whodunnit with a wonderfully eccentric main character, Hon. Edna Gristle, mute side kick Arthur, who saw a horrible crime and no longer speaks, and pet tortoise, Charles Darwin, who gets into all kinds of trouble...including showing up at a locked room murder scene. Author Alex T. Smith illustrated this as well, and the whimsical and sinister combine in his portraits of the Gristle family and partners, a retired detective, and a collection of employees. This was Waterstone's book of the month for November 2-24 and our G6 students clamored for copies.
July 24, 2025
As a someone who loves a who dunnit, I was keen to introduce the genre as a class read at my school. Finding something that is age appropriate but captures the essence of the books I love was difficult and I tried this one on a whim. What an absolute gem of a book! Very Christie-esque, with lots of nods to her work. This managed to be appropriate and accessible for children, without being patronising or predictable and managed to stretch them with the vocabulary and plot twist. We had great fun trying to figure out who the murderer was together and I can't wait for the next one.
March 22, 2025
This book was incredible! It was both funny and a great whodunnit mystery. I loved the cast of characters. I also really enjoyed figuring things out alongside Edna. There were things I'd gotten right in the end, but also still things that shocked me and where I'd been successfully led down the wrong trail. I really hope more Grimacres whodunnits will be written. This book was just exactly what I'd hoped it to be
November 5, 2024
OMG I totally and utterly fell in love with this book. Right from the beginning I was drawn in. I instantly loved Edna and couldn’t wait to see what she did. I loved meeting all of the characters. Constant twists and turns throughout the whole book. Best of all I was left guessing right until the very end! Fingers crossed there’s more to come.
January 20, 2025
Ok, so the target audience for this book is 9-12 years, but wasn't that also true if the HP books when they came out?
A closed room mystery that's got plenty of interest and intrigue. What I love most about the book is the diversity of the characters that is just so natural. The inclusion is so well done and matter of fact.
A closed room mystery that's got plenty of interest and intrigue. What I love most about the book is the diversity of the characters that is just so natural. The inclusion is so well done and matter of fact.
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