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Montgomery Bonbon #1
Murder at the Museum
From a rising stand-up comedian and exciting new talent in children’s fiction comes a brilliantly funny murder mystery series that BBC Radio called “Knives Out meets Poirot—but for children!”
Bonnie Montgomery is the world’s greatest detective. Not that anyone—other than Grampa Banks—has heard of her. But they will have heard of Montgomery Bonbon, the gentleman detective with the bristly mustache, fashionable beret, and accent that’s hard to place. Montgomery Bonbon is responsible for solving many high-stakes crimes, including unmasking the Emmental Bandit, restoring the Rusakova diamonds to their rightful owner, and busting an international owl-smuggling ring, resulting in the arrest of over twelve owls.
But now Montgomery Bonbon is needed on a case much closer to home, at the Hornville Museum in Bonnie’s hometown of Widdlington, where a mysterious death has occurred. Don’t look too carefully, however—from certain angles, Montgomery Bonbon looks suspiciously like a ten-year-old girl . . . Brimming with charm and wit, this debut offering from comedian and writer Alasdair Beckett-King and best-selling illustrator Claire Powell is a delightful modern take on the classic whodunit.
Bonnie Montgomery is the world’s greatest detective. Not that anyone—other than Grampa Banks—has heard of her. But they will have heard of Montgomery Bonbon, the gentleman detective with the bristly mustache, fashionable beret, and accent that’s hard to place. Montgomery Bonbon is responsible for solving many high-stakes crimes, including unmasking the Emmental Bandit, restoring the Rusakova diamonds to their rightful owner, and busting an international owl-smuggling ring, resulting in the arrest of over twelve owls.
But now Montgomery Bonbon is needed on a case much closer to home, at the Hornville Museum in Bonnie’s hometown of Widdlington, where a mysterious death has occurred. Don’t look too carefully, however—from certain angles, Montgomery Bonbon looks suspiciously like a ten-year-old girl . . . Brimming with charm and wit, this debut offering from comedian and writer Alasdair Beckett-King and best-selling illustrator Claire Powell is a delightful modern take on the classic whodunit.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2023
76 people are currently reading
3903 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
March 10, 2023
Many people go their whole lives without noticing anything that is afoot, amiss, or even untoward; without ever experiencing that toe-tingling, stomach-twisting sensation that a mystery is about to unfold.
Not Bonnie Montgomery – the world’s best detective. Not that anyone (other than Grampa Banks) has heard of her… But they might have heard of the great Montgomery Bonbon, the well-dressed gentleman detective who (apart from the hat and moustache) looks suspiciously like a 10-year-old girl.
Their newest case: solving the mystery surrounding a highly suspicious death at the Hornville Museum. Together they'll interview some dodgy witnesses, scour the scene for clues and – above all – hope no one notices that Bonnie and Montgomery are never in the same room at the same time...
What a fantastic middle grade book. Giving me Poirot vibes this was a hilarious, mysterious ride from start to finish. Montgomery Bon Bon is going to become an iconic name in middle grade mystery if Beckett-King continues this series and let’s her (sorry I mean him) get their hands on more crimes to solve. Hilarious and at times extremely heartwarming this was such an enjoyable read and I couldn’t recommend it enough.
What a fantastic middle grade book. Giving me Poirot vibes this was a hilarious, mysterious ride from start to finish. Montgomery Bon Bon is going to become an iconic name in middle grade mystery if Beckett-King continues this series and let’s her (sorry I mean him) get their hands on more crimes to solve. Hilarious and at times extremely heartwarming this was such an enjoyable read and I couldn’t recommend it enough.
November 30, 2022
Agatha Christie for younger readers. Great mystery with eccentric characters.
March 13, 2025
This was a super cute middle grade mystery! Seeing as I am significantly older than the intended age group for this, I figured out the mystery fairly quickly. However, I still enjoyed reading it and I WILL be making my future kids read this!
March 14, 2023
I had a great time reading this - so funny and packed with brilliant illustrations!
April 1, 2025
I'm very much biased, I've been a fan of ABK's humor through his YouTube skits for a while now. And his humor + murder mystery + children's book is an easy 5 for me. I also appreciate how it pokes fun of Poirot and the usual antics of detectives in cozy mysteries.
December 9, 2024
Morderstwo w muzeum (A. Beckett-King) – Powieść dla dzieci o dziewczynce, która wspierana przez dziadka rozwiązuje zagadki kryminalne przebierając się za francuskiego detektywa. W tej części bada sprawę śmierci stróża muzealnego i zaginięcia jednego z eksponatów. Fajne, zabawne, z potencjałem. Warto.
August 23, 2024
Excellent wordplay, and a good mystery to boot.
September 28, 2023
I have enjoyed the comedy stylings of Alisdair Beckett-King for a while now but remained a little sceptical about his ability to write good children's fiction. How wrong I was.
ABK's sense of humour transfers very well to the genre, particularly when it comes to mystery. Montgomery Bonbon (a.k.a. Bonnie Montgomery) is a masterful moustachioed detective who picks up the slack of the Widdlington police. Bonbon is of course a wonderfully cheeky riff on Hercule Poirot, from the questionable Belgian accent to the fussy cunning. In place of Hastings is Banks, Bonnie's grandpa, who plays assistant and driver to Bonbon with heartwarming commitment.
The central mystery of Murder in the Museum is surprisingly layered for a book I assume is primarily aimed at readers 13 years and under. When a museum employee is found murdered and the valuable Widdlington Eagle stolen, Bonbon is on the case and interviews a cast of eccentric staff and suspects. The plot employs red herrings and twists with well-planned precision, suggesting that ABK knows the mystery genre well. He also slots in plenty of family-friendly jokes and even a few sneaky references for parents to chuckle over. My favourite throwaway gag features the newspaper headline 'Councillor suspended over sinkhole'.
Murder at the Museum is a thoroughly enjoyable start to what I hope will be a long series featuring the eccentric detective and adults who remain clueless that a little girl with a false moustache and raincoat has a better success rate at solving crime than the local constabulary.
I heartily recommend Murder at the Museum to anyone looking for a funny homage to Agatha Christie, especially on audiobook (ABK narrates it best).
ABK's sense of humour transfers very well to the genre, particularly when it comes to mystery. Montgomery Bonbon (a.k.a. Bonnie Montgomery) is a masterful moustachioed detective who picks up the slack of the Widdlington police. Bonbon is of course a wonderfully cheeky riff on Hercule Poirot, from the questionable Belgian accent to the fussy cunning. In place of Hastings is Banks, Bonnie's grandpa, who plays assistant and driver to Bonbon with heartwarming commitment.
The central mystery of Murder in the Museum is surprisingly layered for a book I assume is primarily aimed at readers 13 years and under. When a museum employee is found murdered and the valuable Widdlington Eagle stolen, Bonbon is on the case and interviews a cast of eccentric staff and suspects. The plot employs red herrings and twists with well-planned precision, suggesting that ABK knows the mystery genre well. He also slots in plenty of family-friendly jokes and even a few sneaky references for parents to chuckle over. My favourite throwaway gag features the newspaper headline 'Councillor suspended over sinkhole'.
Murder at the Museum is a thoroughly enjoyable start to what I hope will be a long series featuring the eccentric detective and adults who remain clueless that a little girl with a false moustache and raincoat has a better success rate at solving crime than the local constabulary.
I heartily recommend Murder at the Museum to anyone looking for a funny homage to Agatha Christie, especially on audiobook (ABK narrates it best).
July 21, 2025
*taps microphone* This is a completely perfectly crafted mystery with amazing and plentiful illustrations. The humor is accessible to both children and adults and everyone needs to read it right now or I’m going to throw a fit. Thank you for your time.
January 24, 2023
Never Did I Think that a Book with tones of Night at the Museum meets Nancy Drew & Agatha Christie be such a Fun Read BUT it Was, 5-Stars all Round!
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Book).
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Book).
January 12, 2025
Zapraszam do świata, w którym tajemnice gonią tajemnice, a humoru jest tak wiele, że lepiej przygotujcie się na bóle brzucha! :p Przed wami historia o małej, lecz niezwykle bystrej dziewczynce o imieniu Bonnie, która pod przybranym imieniem Montgomery Bonbon rozwiązuje zagadkę morderstwa w muzeum. To prawdziwa gratka dla młodych czytelników.
Na początku recenzji muszę zaznaczyć, że książka przypomina mi dzieła Davida Williamsa, takie jak „Babcia Rabuś” czy „Potwór z Arktyki”. Jeśli znacie jego twórczość, to tutaj znajdziecie podobny klimat, choć z innymi bohaterami. Fantastyczne ilustracje z pewnością zachęcą młodszych czytelników do dalszego odkrywania kolejnych rozdziałów. Całość przesycona jest ironicznym humorem, który przywodzi na myśl angielską atmosferę, pełną zabawnych dialogów, niecodziennych sytuacji i sarkastycznych uwag głównej bohaterki. To sprawia, że czytanie staje się czystą przyjemnością. Nie możemy zapomnieć, że tytuł sugeruje, iż będziemy mieli do czynienia z morderstwem, więc fanów zagadek kryminalnych (i nie tylko) zapraszam na swoje miejsca. „Morderstwo w muzeum” to intrygująca książka, która trzyma w napięciu od pierwszej strony. Autor umiejętnie buduje atmosferę tajemnicy, a czytelnik wraz z Montgomery Bonbon stara się odgadnąć, kto stoi za tym przestępstwem.
Kim jest detektyw bez swojego pomocnika, i to rozczuliło nas najbardziej, bo jest nim nikt inny jak dziadek Bonnie. Jednak nie tylko on zasługuje na uwagę – ekscentryczni pracownicy muzeum oraz podejrzani świadkowie, drugoplanowe postacie, również odgrywają istotną rolę. Każda z nich jest wyjątkowa i dodaje książce charakteru. Przyjaźń oraz relacje między bohaterami to kluczowe elementy, które wzbogacają fabułę. Wzajemne zaufanie pozwala bohaterom rozwiązać zagadkę morderstwa i przeżyć wiele przygód.
Bonnie (Montgomery Bonbon) to dziewczynka o bystrym umyśle i niezwykłej ciekawości świata. Pod przybranym imieniem staje się odważnym i pomysłowym detektywem. Jej inteligencja, umiejętność obserwacji oraz zamiłowanie do rozwiązywania zagadek czynią ją niezwykle sympatyczną i inspirującą postacią. Relacja między Bonnie (Montgomery Bonbon) a jej dziadkiem Banksem stanowi centralny punkt opowieści. Dzięki ich wspólnej pasji do rozwiązywania zagadek oraz wzajemnemu zaufaniu, Bonnie może w pełni rozwijać swoje detektywistyczne umiejętności. Dziadek to doświadczony mężczyzna, który wspiera swoją wnuczkę w jej pasjach. Jest dla Bonnie nie tylko opiekunem, ale także przyjacielem i mentorem. Jego wiedza i umiejętności są nieocenione podczas prowadzenia śledztwa.
Ta relacja przekazuje wartości, jakimi są znaczenie rodziny i przyjaźni oraz więzi oparte na wspólnych pasjach. Bo powtórzę wsparcie jej dziadka, który jest Bonnie nie tylko towarzyszem przygód, ale także osobą, która zawsze ją wspiera i wierzy w jej możliwości jest nieoceniona. Jak ważne jest posiadanie kogoś, kto wierzy w nasze możliwości i wspiera nas w dążeniu do celów? Z pewnością wiecie, jak istotne to jest.
Na początku recenzji muszę zaznaczyć, że książka przypomina mi dzieła Davida Williamsa, takie jak „Babcia Rabuś” czy „Potwór z Arktyki”. Jeśli znacie jego twórczość, to tutaj znajdziecie podobny klimat, choć z innymi bohaterami. Fantastyczne ilustracje z pewnością zachęcą młodszych czytelników do dalszego odkrywania kolejnych rozdziałów. Całość przesycona jest ironicznym humorem, który przywodzi na myśl angielską atmosferę, pełną zabawnych dialogów, niecodziennych sytuacji i sarkastycznych uwag głównej bohaterki. To sprawia, że czytanie staje się czystą przyjemnością. Nie możemy zapomnieć, że tytuł sugeruje, iż będziemy mieli do czynienia z morderstwem, więc fanów zagadek kryminalnych (i nie tylko) zapraszam na swoje miejsca. „Morderstwo w muzeum” to intrygująca książka, która trzyma w napięciu od pierwszej strony. Autor umiejętnie buduje atmosferę tajemnicy, a czytelnik wraz z Montgomery Bonbon stara się odgadnąć, kto stoi za tym przestępstwem.
Kim jest detektyw bez swojego pomocnika, i to rozczuliło nas najbardziej, bo jest nim nikt inny jak dziadek Bonnie. Jednak nie tylko on zasługuje na uwagę – ekscentryczni pracownicy muzeum oraz podejrzani świadkowie, drugoplanowe postacie, również odgrywają istotną rolę. Każda z nich jest wyjątkowa i dodaje książce charakteru. Przyjaźń oraz relacje między bohaterami to kluczowe elementy, które wzbogacają fabułę. Wzajemne zaufanie pozwala bohaterom rozwiązać zagadkę morderstwa i przeżyć wiele przygód.
Bonnie (Montgomery Bonbon) to dziewczynka o bystrym umyśle i niezwykłej ciekawości świata. Pod przybranym imieniem staje się odważnym i pomysłowym detektywem. Jej inteligencja, umiejętność obserwacji oraz zamiłowanie do rozwiązywania zagadek czynią ją niezwykle sympatyczną i inspirującą postacią. Relacja między Bonnie (Montgomery Bonbon) a jej dziadkiem Banksem stanowi centralny punkt opowieści. Dzięki ich wspólnej pasji do rozwiązywania zagadek oraz wzajemnemu zaufaniu, Bonnie może w pełni rozwijać swoje detektywistyczne umiejętności. Dziadek to doświadczony mężczyzna, który wspiera swoją wnuczkę w jej pasjach. Jest dla Bonnie nie tylko opiekunem, ale także przyjacielem i mentorem. Jego wiedza i umiejętności są nieocenione podczas prowadzenia śledztwa.
Ta relacja przekazuje wartości, jakimi są znaczenie rodziny i przyjaźni oraz więzi oparte na wspólnych pasjach. Bo powtórzę wsparcie jej dziadka, który jest Bonnie nie tylko towarzyszem przygód, ale także osobą, która zawsze ją wspiera i wierzy w jej możliwości jest nieoceniona. Jak ważne jest posiadanie kogoś, kto wierzy w nasze możliwości i wspiera nas w dążeniu do celów? Z pewnością wiecie, jak istotne to jest.
March 25, 2024
I read this some time ago but it keeps popping back into my mind because I enjoyed it so much. Alasdair Beckett-King is just so funny and there's so much humour woven into the most unlikely moments. Montgomery Bon Bon is a fantastic character, as are they all. The illustrations are also wonderful.
August 26, 2023
This was maybe more entertaining for me than my youngest (although she just asked me when the next one was coming out), but it held her interest and it was a lot of fun to do an outrageous wandering foreign accent for the great Montgomery Bonbon. Having an actual murder in a humourous kids' book was... different, but ABK managed to thread that needle and a write a satisfying mystery story with lots of good jokes. Although I had to explain to my Canadian daughter what "widdle" meant...
February 26, 2023
I freaking loved it! It was so fun and full of wordplay. If I could have binged it in one sitting, I would have, but alas, life. In between readings though I was definitely itching to dive back in!
I adored Bonnie, or should I say The Great Detective Bonbon. The capers are great, and I enjoyed plunging into the nostalgia of watching Pirot when I was younger - the urge to don a bushy mustache, butcher an accent (I can't do any accent), and look for clues. Bonnie gets to do it all, and really well - assisting the bumbling police with the case of a missing museum piece and the murder of its guard.
The illustrations within are superb too, and definitely gave me a chuckle - such as the police tape saying "POLICE - DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT" (to give you an idea of the humour). I don't think a book has made me this happy in a while (that's probably on me for reading a lot of grimdark and horror lately), I'm actually smiling just thinking about it though.
I cannot wait for more - and I hope some of the characters we've met resurface in the next!
I adored Bonnie, or should I say The Great Detective Bonbon. The capers are great, and I enjoyed plunging into the nostalgia of watching Pirot when I was younger - the urge to don a bushy mustache, butcher an accent (I can't do any accent), and look for clues. Bonnie gets to do it all, and really well - assisting the bumbling police with the case of a missing museum piece and the murder of its guard.
The illustrations within are superb too, and definitely gave me a chuckle - such as the police tape saying "POLICE - DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT" (to give you an idea of the humour). I don't think a book has made me this happy in a while (that's probably on me for reading a lot of grimdark and horror lately), I'm actually smiling just thinking about it though.
I cannot wait for more - and I hope some of the characters we've met resurface in the next!
December 2, 2022
When there was a dead body right at the beginning of this story, I wondered about its suitability for children! However, after some discussions with some of my much more learned & bookish friends, I think children just take death as it’s presented to them. I feel most have no real concept of the devastating domino effect that a death has. Therefore, they wouldn’t give it as much weight as I did.
The book is funny and the illustrations definitely add to the story!
Bonnie Montgomery is the main character & I really enjoyed her relationship with her Grampa Banks - her clumsy but loving sidekick. Although all of it was tongue in cheek & fun, having a grown up character along side the mysterious Montgomery Bonbon meant that she could get into some places/situations with a tad of believability!
I think this was written by someone who reads crime books because it had the right …. what’s the word….formula??
Fun, pacey & clever. It would suit a not too serious nine to eleven year old.
The book is funny and the illustrations definitely add to the story!
Bonnie Montgomery is the main character & I really enjoyed her relationship with her Grampa Banks - her clumsy but loving sidekick. Although all of it was tongue in cheek & fun, having a grown up character along side the mysterious Montgomery Bonbon meant that she could get into some places/situations with a tad of believability!
I think this was written by someone who reads crime books because it had the right …. what’s the word….formula??
Fun, pacey & clever. It would suit a not too serious nine to eleven year old.
December 9, 2025
3.5 stars
I immensely enjoyed the short mysterious read of Montgomery Bonbon AKA Bonnie. This read was full of humor for adults and children and I just love how people are fooled when Bonnie dons her Bonbon mustache. The mystery wasn't too obvious on who done it but dear lord that cliff hanger ending!!! I have a feeling it might be the girl who is the same age as her, but who knows!
I do enjoy Bonnie's character as well and how her Grandpa is encouraging and supporting her. I can also relate to Bonnie being socially awkward and needing to make a whole persona to feel more confident.
I immensely enjoyed the short mysterious read of Montgomery Bonbon AKA Bonnie. This read was full of humor for adults and children and I just love how people are fooled when Bonnie dons her Bonbon mustache. The mystery wasn't too obvious on who done it but dear lord that cliff hanger ending!!! I have a feeling it might be the girl who is the same age as her, but who knows!
I do enjoy Bonnie's character as well and how her Grandpa is encouraging and supporting her. I can also relate to Bonnie being socially awkward and needing to make a whole persona to feel more confident.
February 20, 2025
Love it!!!
I love the relationship between Bonnie and her grandpa - his Watson to her Sherlock. This funny young muder mystery series has become an instant family favorite. This book is simple enough for readers to collect clues along with Montgomery Bonbon yet complex enough to present challenging questions.
I love the relationship between Bonnie and her grandpa - his Watson to her Sherlock. This funny young muder mystery series has become an instant family favorite. This book is simple enough for readers to collect clues along with Montgomery Bonbon yet complex enough to present challenging questions.
November 22, 2023
I loved this book! It was very cleverly written and lots of fun. As well as reading the book, I partly listened to the audio book which is narrated by the author & is very well done. Can’t wait to see what Montgomery Bonbon gets up to next!
May 3, 2024
Highly believable that a 10-year-old girl playing a tiny foreign detective with a big moustache fools all the adults and solves murder cases without any trouble. 😆
It was an absurdly funny book and I enjoyed it! 😊
It was an absurdly funny book and I enjoyed it! 😊
March 31, 2024
Um livro bem ilustrado mas não gostei da protagonista e achei a história simples.
March 28, 2025
a good children's murder mystery is like medicine for the soul
September 8, 2025
I bet the audiobook is great!
June 16, 2025
Just lots of fun to read!
July 4, 2023
This is a delightful adventure for Montgomery Bonbon, the alter-ego of 10-year-old Bonnie Montgomery who merely applies a moustache, a beret and an obscure accent to solve mysteries.
When a murder occurs at the Hornville Museum it is fortunate that Bonbon, he is near. With the assistance of her accomplice/grandpa and despite a long-suffering rivalry with the local police inspector, she whittles down the suspects and at one point engages in a battle of wits with a parrot.
Murder At The Museum is a brisk and funny read by comedian turned writer Alasdair Beckett-King, full of very engaging illustrations by Claire Powell. It would make a very good detective story for young kids, but it’s also fun enough for adults.
When a murder occurs at the Hornville Museum it is fortunate that Bonbon, he is near. With the assistance of her accomplice/grandpa and despite a long-suffering rivalry with the local police inspector, she whittles down the suspects and at one point engages in a battle of wits with a parrot.
Murder At The Museum is a brisk and funny read by comedian turned writer Alasdair Beckett-King, full of very engaging illustrations by Claire Powell. It would make a very good detective story for young kids, but it’s also fun enough for adults.
December 1, 2023
"Come on pick me up!" It was as if this was calling me from the bookshelf where it was lying distinctly.
And yes, that turned out to be the right decision!
Now that I have finished the book, I am totally spellbound by the Great Montgomery Bonbon. He is indeed one of my new favorite detectives now. This is such a feel good and book full of wits and craziness that I am already eager to get my hands on its next series.
Kudos to the first time author that he wrote a superb book which not only children but adults would love as well! Readers are enlightened with detective traits like doldrums, detective activities like denouement etc which are quite informative.
Grampa's character wins best supporting role! Dana is mysterious as well as Genius I believe. Bonnie is fav!! This book deserves a read. Go for it Lads n Girls!
P.S: Illustrations are excellent.
And yes, that turned out to be the right decision!
Now that I have finished the book, I am totally spellbound by the Great Montgomery Bonbon. He is indeed one of my new favorite detectives now. This is such a feel good and book full of wits and craziness that I am already eager to get my hands on its next series.
Kudos to the first time author that he wrote a superb book which not only children but adults would love as well! Readers are enlightened with detective traits like doldrums, detective activities like denouement etc which are quite informative.
Grampa's character wins best supporting role! Dana is mysterious as well as Genius I believe. Bonnie is fav!! This book deserves a read. Go for it Lads n Girls!
P.S: Illustrations are excellent.
January 7, 2024
After I finished the second one, I immediately needed to read the first one. This is so full of fun and mystery. Montgomery Bonbon is a wonderful detective, who uses all of his tools! This made me chuckle lots throughout and I really loved how illustrated it is!
January 23, 2023
So much fun! Bonnie and her grandpa make a great detective team! I can’t wait to recommend this to kids 8+ looking for a funny, sleuthy mystery!
Hear my full thoughts in my recent mystery reading vlog: https://youtu.be/2GcDQcBru2s
Hear my full thoughts in my recent mystery reading vlog: https://youtu.be/2GcDQcBru2s
August 12, 2025
If you like the warm fuzzies that British mysteries give but want a little giggle, might I make a suggestion
June 28, 2023
A hilarious mystery featuring a girl disguising herself as an older gentleman detective! Tons of fun~
I just love books with mystery and kid detectives! Though Bonnie is pretending to be an older detective, so that made me snicker and even more curious about the book. How would that work? How is her disguise. Well, I can just say that I have big doubts how well everyone’s eyes are doing. Haha.
In this book we meet a girl named Bonnie. She loves solving mysteries and has found a way to do them. Change into an older man. With accent. Some foreign words here and there. And she is getting a new case when the museum she is visiting with her granddad gets throw in the darkness and a dead body is found + there is a missing item! I just adored how Bonnie tried her best to solve the case, finding clues, going after hints and secrets, interviewing people. Thinking of all the best ways to have people listen to her. And the mystery was really fun and I loved that I could follow Bonnie on the case along with thinking of my own suspects. There is a lot of room left for that, while we do follow Bonnie on her mission, we get plenty of hints that allow the reader to also form an image/see if they can solve the mystery. I loved how the mystery got more and more tangled/complex as the story went on. How you shouldn’t trust anything! There are birds and plants and falsified documents, and more. Oh yes!
We also get to meet a new character who I hope will be a friend to Bonnie.
And the grandpa was such a fun character~
I had such a laugh that no one was sus about Bonnie/Montgomery Bonbon doing both French and German at times. I mean, I would be sus. I did think it was funny that she went with those languages. I got big Poirot vibes from her.
While I did like that she had done more cases, had established her Montgomery Bonbon persona, it did make me feel like I missed out on several books. She talks about them so we learn a bit about them, but still, I would have rather seen her either establish herself in this book, or this being her second case.
And once again, like so many children’s books with child detectives (either impersonating older or being themselves), why are the cops so bad? LORD. I was just embarrassed for that police person and she ruined so much over the course of the investigation.
The ending was fantastic both in solving the mystery as well as setting up something for the next book, as I said before, her disguise isn’t the best. A taped on moustache. A coat. A beret (which I believe she also wears as Bonnie). I was already wondering when/if someone would notice.
I had lots of fun reading this one though, with fun illustrations by one of my favourite illustrators (Claire Powell) and a great mystery. I loved that Bonbon didn’t instead solve it, instead it took a bit of time. I hope that we are getting more adventures with Montgomery Bonbon! I need them.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I just love books with mystery and kid detectives! Though Bonnie is pretending to be an older detective, so that made me snicker and even more curious about the book. How would that work? How is her disguise. Well, I can just say that I have big doubts how well everyone’s eyes are doing. Haha.
In this book we meet a girl named Bonnie. She loves solving mysteries and has found a way to do them. Change into an older man. With accent. Some foreign words here and there. And she is getting a new case when the museum she is visiting with her granddad gets throw in the darkness and a dead body is found + there is a missing item! I just adored how Bonnie tried her best to solve the case, finding clues, going after hints and secrets, interviewing people. Thinking of all the best ways to have people listen to her. And the mystery was really fun and I loved that I could follow Bonnie on the case along with thinking of my own suspects. There is a lot of room left for that, while we do follow Bonnie on her mission, we get plenty of hints that allow the reader to also form an image/see if they can solve the mystery. I loved how the mystery got more and more tangled/complex as the story went on. How you shouldn’t trust anything! There are birds and plants and falsified documents, and more. Oh yes!
We also get to meet a new character who I hope will be a friend to Bonnie.
And the grandpa was such a fun character~
I had such a laugh that no one was sus about Bonnie/Montgomery Bonbon doing both French and German at times. I mean, I would be sus. I did think it was funny that she went with those languages. I got big Poirot vibes from her.
While I did like that she had done more cases, had established her Montgomery Bonbon persona, it did make me feel like I missed out on several books. She talks about them so we learn a bit about them, but still, I would have rather seen her either establish herself in this book, or this being her second case.
And once again, like so many children’s books with child detectives (either impersonating older or being themselves), why are the cops so bad? LORD. I was just embarrassed for that police person and she ruined so much over the course of the investigation.
The ending was fantastic both in solving the mystery as well as setting up something for the next book, as I said before, her disguise isn’t the best. A taped on moustache. A coat. A beret (which I believe she also wears as Bonnie). I was already wondering when/if someone would notice.
I had lots of fun reading this one though, with fun illustrations by one of my favourite illustrators (Claire Powell) and a great mystery. I loved that Bonbon didn’t instead solve it, instead it took a bit of time. I hope that we are getting more adventures with Montgomery Bonbon! I need them.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
April 5, 2025
Loved this book!!! The illustrations are fantastic! (If you like- may I recommend the swifts? She also illustrated that!) I listened too it (still awesome) and the narrator is the author who also happens to be a comedian, so his timing and voices are perfection 💯
The young secretive and her grandpa are an excellent team! I love how you jump into Montgomery bonbons life after she’s already an established international detective! The whole walk through of the crime is great and it feels like a “real” detective book, or at least a classic one! The ending with the threat and the possibility of friends for Bonnie really makes me want to keep reading!
There is a death in this at the very beginning. It is not graphic or gruesome. It is part of the story. They do describe how he was killed at the very end during the reveal- again, not gruesome or graphic, just tragic.
Would recommend for 4th grade and older. I could see this appealing to the 4th-6th group and doing really well because of the illustrations. Older readers might prefer to listen, but it was a quick read that had me guessing until the end.
If you like this, you might like No one Leaves the Castle, or the Bellwoods Game(also an excellent illustrated mystery novel!)
The young secretive and her grandpa are an excellent team! I love how you jump into Montgomery bonbons life after she’s already an established international detective! The whole walk through of the crime is great and it feels like a “real” detective book, or at least a classic one! The ending with the threat and the possibility of friends for Bonnie really makes me want to keep reading!
There is a death in this at the very beginning. It is not graphic or gruesome. It is part of the story. They do describe how he was killed at the very end during the reveal- again, not gruesome or graphic, just tragic.
Would recommend for 4th grade and older. I could see this appealing to the 4th-6th group and doing really well because of the illustrations. Older readers might prefer to listen, but it was a quick read that had me guessing until the end.
If you like this, you might like No one Leaves the Castle, or the Bellwoods Game(also an excellent illustrated mystery novel!)
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