The Nine Night Mystery

High-Rise Mystery #3

by Sharna Jackson

A page-turning, fast-paced, twisty murder mystery packed with epic reveals, red herrings and sharp, real, funny teen dialogue, perfect for fans of Robin Stevens and the Lizzie and Belle Mysteries, from the award-winning author of High-Rise Mystery and The Good Turn.


Last night Wesley and his friends Josephine and Margot threw their neighbour Rachel a surprise birthday party.

This morning, Rachel is dead.
And Wesley is the one who finds her body.

Rachel's friends throw a traditional Caribbean Nine Night celebration to help guide her soul to the next world. But Wesley, Margot and Josephine don't have time to mourn Rachel. They are determined to find out who did this - and find out what secrets Rachel was keeping...

Praise for Sharna

'I utterly loved The Good Turn; it's bone-deep brilliant; a joy to the very end. It's so warm and so funny, and so ferociously on the side of justice and of hope. I adored it.' - Katherine Rundell

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Middle Grade, Young Adult

300 pages, Paperback

Published August 2, 2024

About the author

Sharna Jackson is a best-selling author and curator who specialises in developing and delivering socially-engaged initiatives for children and young people across culture, publishing and entertainment.

Her debut novel High-Rise Mystery (2019) won numerous awards and accolades including Best Book for Younger Readers at the 2020 Waterstones Book Prize and Sunday Times Book of the Week. The sequel, Mic Drop, was released in 2020. Sharna also develops books to encourage participation in the arts, with two activity books released with Tate in 2014 (which won the FILAF award for Best Children’s Art Book in 2015) and Black Artists Shaping the World in 2021. She was Southbank Centre’s Imagine A Story Author in 2019/20 creating London/Londoff with over 1200 school children in the capital.

She was recently the Artistic Director at Site Gallery, an international contemporary art space in Sheffield, UK, and was formerly the editor of the triple BAFTA-nominated Tate Kids website.

Sharna was a member of BAFTA’s Children’s and Learning and New Talent committees and the Children’s Media Conference advisory board. She was also on the board of Sheffield Doc/Fest, New Writing North and Upswing. Every year she curates Playground – an exhibition showcasing work that blends digital play with physical objects and Ensemble – a show highlighting ethnic minority talent and achievement in the UK games industry.

Reviews

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was excellent. Such a gripping and twisty mystery. Accidentally read it without realising it was a sequel but didn't have any trouble following - now need to get the first one!

[Rike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had overlooked the fact that it was a children's//youth book when I bought it, but I still enjoyed it. The mystery was well constructed with nice characters and good twists. I really liked the Idea of the nine night and all the odds that came with it. But don't expect a real murder mystery here.

[Cheshmaan Zahra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars 🌟

[Darcy Thurston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good really on your toes lots of secrets and investigation

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this twisty-turny-kept me guessing mystery! It’s so lovely being back with the Copley gang, and in a whole new story! A mysterious death, a woman who has many secrets and a whole host of clues, red herrings and wrong turns! What’s not to love?

[Estelle (estellereadsbooks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm notbthe demographic here

[Helen Kingsley Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1 of GDST Junior book award read with Y6 bookclub.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the ‘Copseys’ series by Sharna Jackson and follows Wesley, Margot and Josie who together form the Copseys, a modern-day Secret Seven, intent on solving mysteries and having adventures.
The Copseys have organised a surprise 40th party for Wesley’s mum’s friend and neighbour Rachel Kohl and invite the few facebook friends of hers they can find. When Rachel turns up dead the morning after the party, the Copseys decide it’s time to investigate. Rachel’s friend Whisper is hosting a Nine Night celebration for all those who attended the party, in order to put Rachel’s spirit to rest, but with a cast of suspects and only nine days, will the Copseys be able to solve the mystery surrounding Rachel, and put her spirit to rest?
Brilliantly written, with each character being individual and believable, it is a must read for fans of ‘Murder most unladylike’. Written from Wesley’s viewpoint, the writing has a huge sense of immediacy and throws you forward into the action. You feel like you’re living the investigation alongside them and want to see what happens next! I found it especially amusing to see things from an eleven-year-olds perspective; to the Copseys, Rachel, Wes’ mum and her other 40 something friends are ‘old’. Even though I’m slightly younger than 40, I was a child of the 90s and it’s funny to remember that for children today, that is the ancient past! The author got this perspective spot on.
I also really loved how the author does not shy away from important issues and topics through the book (I won’t give any spoilers). She covers a lot of ‘grown-up’ modern day issues which do have an impact on young people, whether we realise it or not. The writing was very poignant at times and by covering these difficult topics, young readers who are going through similar situations will especially feel empathy and solidarity with the characters.
A great read and I will be going back to read the first book!

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

THE NINE NIGHT MYSTERY is a tale of three kids determined to get to the bottom of the mystery on their street - and find it tangles far more with their lives than they thought.

This book starts you off thinking the mystery will be one thing, but then it becomes something else. I really enjoyed that. Everyone is so shifty, and Rachel is an unknowable quantity, telling everyone something different. She's clearly hiding something, as are her friends, and it means you want to know the answers even when the central assumption falls through.

The mystery gets very personal for Wesley, tangling this near stranger (his mum's friend) in his family's personal affairs. It's a story of family breakups and what that can mean for people down the line. It's about tension with your parents and the conflicting emotions of anger and guilt and wanting it to be alright again when you fight.

While it is not obviously shown in the marketing, this book is part of a series with THE GOOD TURN. The narrator is different in this book, Wesley instead of Josephine. There aren't really any references to the mystery in THE GOOD TURN, so you could read them in either order and it wouldn't matter much, which is a fun way to do a series.

[Tim Roast · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nine Night Mystery introduces the murder of Rachel Kohl on the first page, and Wesley Evans, eleven, is “gonna puke. Scary thoughts are Usain Bolting through my brain, and one idea is doing laps. Someone’s done this to her. Someone we – my friends Josie, Margot and I – invited to her surprise fortieth party.” The suspects are then introduced one by one as the flashback to the party begins with the party being “weird… Strangeness from start to end… Her friends couldn’t agree on the most basic of things about her.”

Following her death the Nine Night, a Haitian ritual, begins as all the guests return night on night so that Rachel’s “duppy” can pass on from this life to the next. And the kids have to work out what it going on. What is the secret life of Rachel? Why all the contradictions? What happened? And they have to do it in nine nights.

Good book with an emotional payoff as Wes and his friends learn all and share with everyone else. Plenty of camaraderie between the kids along the way too, and set in Luton, my hometown. 5-stars.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had heard good things about Sharna Jackson's books, so when this became available on Net Galley I was keen to read it before getting a copy for my class.

The story starts with a murder. Wes goes to visit his neighbour Rachel, who him and his friends had thrown a surprise party for the night before, and finds her dead in her bed. Together with his friends Josie and Margot, he is determined to find out who killed her. Rachel's friends throw a traditional Caribbean Nine Night celebration to help guide her soul to the next world, which gives the three friends plenty of opportunities to check out the suspects...

I really enjoyed this mystery and will definitely be getting a copy for my class. The three teenage characters are well-written and reflect today's teenagers. There are twists and turns galore and the addition of the Caribbean tradition adds an extra layer to the story.

Thanks to Net Galley for this review copy.

[Emm Woodworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. This is a very engaging story and a somewhat interesting mystery. It is first person POV from a kid called Wes, his voice is very clear throughout though he's sometimes pretty rude to his friends. The characters are mostly fleshed out to some extent and some are pretty good. I couldn't put this down. As an adult reading though I figured out all the plot twists way before the kids, I felt they were mostly pretty obvious but still interesting enough. How old are the kids in this meant to be? Wes is 11 but he's off wandering the streets at night with his friends and his younger siblings seem to be on their own constantly. I was going to give this 4 stars as I couldn't put it down, but I found the ending a bit abrupt and it definitely left me with a lot of questions so I've taken it down half a star

[kella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wes lives next door to his mums newish best friend Rachel- him and his friends track down Rachel’s elusive random bunch of friends. They throw her a surprise 40th birthday party but the next day she dies. The gang think at first it’s murder and try to figure out which one of Rachel’s friends is responsible. At the same time they discover deep complicated stories linked to each person , including Wes’ mum and Craig .
Finally they realise the person who they thought was Rachel is actually Naomi - Rachel’s best friend she’s living her life after Rachel died at a young age by a car. Naomi is trying to complete everything on Rachel’s bucket list before she dies herself ( she has cancer)
Fun light read - a bit younger than I was expecting but still good.

[Claire Hatcher-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a neighbour dies unexpectedly following her surprise fortieth birthday party they helped organize, tween-age Wes and his besties find themselves caught up in not only the traditional Caribbean nine nights celebration, but also a murder investigation. And when Wes's mum seems to be the prime suspect (along with her dodgy vegan-cheese potato skins), he'll stop at nothing to find the real culprit.

A pacy, dialogue-driven mystery, full of brilliantly set=up twists, edgy humour and heart, this is a perfect independent read for older middle-grade kids.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgally for an advanced e-copy of this title.

[Mystic Forest Crafts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros:

This is a well written and organized mystery that is easy to follow without giving away every part of what is to come. It explores an interesting death tradition and could be great for a family read/listen.

Cons:

In the audio format the repetitiveness of rehashing the investigation notes was a bit annoying and unnecessary it pulled me out of the story when I was ready to continue on.

This is apparently a second book about these characters and might be more interesting if you’ve read the first book and know the players better.

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read before recommending to my year 5/6 class. Another brilliant mystery from Sharna Jackson. Wesley and his friends throw a party for Rachel and the next morning Rachel is dead. What follows is an investigation into who Rachel really was and what led to her death. It’s a pacy story, easy to follow and characters that are likeable and relatable. Any fan of Sharna Jackson’s previous books would love this one.

[I Read, Therefore I Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharna Jackson’s mystery sequel for readers aged 9+ is an emotionally sophisticated affair that deals with grief, regret and betrayal in a way that the target readership can relate to. The 9 night structure gives the Copseys plenty of scope to dig into the suspects, including Wesley’s mum which lends tension and the mystery itself is more about Rachel herself than her death. All in all it’s a solid read and I’d check out Jackson’s other books.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a new audiobook to accompany me on my gym trips and this one seemed just right. I always like a mystery and the suspense keeps me going!

This one was as enjoyable and the narration fab too. I was intrigued as the plot continued to develop although I was perhaps a bit too eager to get to the end and see it all concluded! It was exactly what I was looking for though and fit the bill perfectly for my gym read.

[FeebleExcuses · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I listened to the audiobook]

I normally enjoy middle grade books, but I think this one was a bit much for me - I have given it four stars because I think that's what it is for the age range it is aimed at, but it would probably only be a 3 star as an adult.

It has quite a well constructed mystery.

[Scarlett Halliwell-Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

This book was so good and had me hooked on page one. I was guessing the whole way through the book and I was so invested. My only critique is I found the end very disappointing and dissatisfying. That is the only reason I didn’t rate this book 5 star as it was good up until the last 40 pages.

[Christine LaBatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three preteen friends investigate the mysterious death of a family friend.

I thought this started strong but then got slow pretty quickly. I think the writing was just slow from Wes’s point of view.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mrs Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I thoroughly enjoyed it that. I was drawn in from the very beginning. So many twists and turns throughout the whole book. I loved how everyone came to the initial party as ‘strangers’ but come together in the end. A fantastic book!

[Vinaya G Tekale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good, I mean, yeah, but at the same time, meh. I really wished it had been a murder. Sharna Jackson is amazing at those. I just think I could have got a lot more than - Naomi and Rachel. The plot was amazing, though. ALL it was lacking was a murder.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was easy to follow. Felt a little childish even though the subject that were talked about in the book are not for children's ears. There were twist and turns that were predictable and a few that were mouth dropping.
It was easy to read and I liked the writing style.

[Hannah Rials Jensen]

An excellent, diverse murder mystery for upper middle grade with a great friendship group, secrets that kept me guessing, and cultural, racial, and socioeconomic diversity

[Tasneem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a really really well thought out story, with an extremely intricate plot. The way it all comes together at the end is extremely satisfactory!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Enjoyed this one

[Louise Bar · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
I enjoyed this book, I loved the traditional element of how the Caribbean celebrate someone's life after they have passed. It was a lovely way to explain to middle school children.

[HJY ML · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took 9 chapters for the body to come and to many characters that confuses. This is my opinion on it

[Sofia Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book! Not so much a 'murder mystery' but a go-to book that you will never put down!!