Goldie Vance Book One

by Hope Larson, Brittney Williams (Illustrator)

Intrepid teen detective Goldie Vance is on the case in this acclaimed upper middle-grade graphic novel mystery that reads like Nancy Drew meets Only Murders in the Building.

Marigold “Goldie” Vance lives at a Florida resort with her dad and dreams of one day becoming the hotel’s in-house detective. Armed with endless curiosity and unstoppable determination, she’s ready to prove she has what it takes to solve any mystery, big or small!

When current detective Walter encounters a case he can’t crack, he agrees to mentor Goldie in exchange for her help solving the mystery. Will this budding sleuth be the key to revealing the truth, or is she in over her head?

Uncover secrets and adventures around every corner with this double-length detective adventure full of retro flair from New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award-winning writer Hope Larson (All Summer Long), and critically-acclaimed artist Brittney Williams (Mixed-Up, Girl on Fire)!

Collects Goldie Vance #1-8.

224 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 1, 2026

About the author

Hope Larson is an American illustrator and comics artist. Hope Larson is the author of Salamander Dream, Gray Horses, Chiggers, and Mercury. She won a 2007 Eisner Award. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

[ฅ^•⩊•^ฅ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured Goldie Vance. I finished it in under two hours, and honestly, I could’ve kept going. It was that good. At this point, I’m convinced that anything published by KaBOOM! is just not going to miss for me. Their taste? Impeccable.

The story follows Goldie, a girl with a sharp mind and a love for solving mysteries, which already makes her incredibly fun to follow. The setting, a hotel, adds such a great atmosphere, and it gave me strong Only Murders in the Building vibes in the best way. Russian spies, FBI, NASA are involved too so go buy the book to learn more.

Volume one collects issues 1 through 8, and it’s such an easy, addictive read. The art is charming, the pacing is tight, and the mysteries keep you hooked without ever feeling too heavy. It’s just pure fun with a clever edge. My only problem? I need more immediately. Waiting until 2027 for the next installment feels unreasonable after how quickly I flew through this one.

If you’re into light mystery, lovable characters, and cozy investigative vibes, this is 100% worth picking up. I’m already counting down until I can read more.

[The Sapphic Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC through Netgalley! ***

I remember when the first issue of Goldie Vance was coming out almost a decade ago. I thought it looked interesting, but didn't get the chance to read it then. I get to now, though!

Goldie Vance is a light-hearted mystery adventure kind of like Nancy Drew and Scooby-Doo mixed together. The art is fun and I love seeing a cast of diverse characters. There are different skin tones and body types, as well as queer characters. Brittney Williams (whose work on Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat I loved) does a fabulous job with the 60s fashion. Each character wears clothes that are unique to them and reflect their personality.

While the actual mysteries aren't the most engaging, I did enjoy seeing the boldness in everything Goldie does. She "borrows" cars to race, she lockpicks her way into homes, deep dives to a secret base, and even has time to romance the striking Diane (with a rad James Dean look) and make up with her best friend, Cheryl, after they have a fight.

There's a bit of everything here that readers can enjoy!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goldie Vance is working in her father’s hotel on the Space Coast in Florida, in the mid-1960s, as a valet, but what she really wants to do is detective work. So when a mysterious woman who appears to be an astronaut shows up, who has no memory of who she is, Goldie is on the case.


Of course, there are Russian spies, and double crosses, and Goldie even has time for a little lesbian romance, which we don’t see, but is implied.


It is a cute series. This book collects the issues 1-8 of the original comic book that came out ages ago.Here is to hoping that the rest of the comic books issues are collected as well, for further volumes.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published on the 1st of September 2026.

[Magen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable! Goldie is such a fun character. The story and supporting characters are solid and fun and it's all a little Scooby Doo in the best of ways (of course!). I have to read more, this was simply charming!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boom! Studios for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Haruka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!!! Enjoyed the mysteries!! The cases were simple. Not too draggy nothing complicated. I love Goldie relationships with everyone!! Every characters in the story have good personality and they helped and trust Goldie to solve the cases. It a simple read! Love it!
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book in advance~

[Izzati · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Patrycja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoko ale spodziewałam się czegoś lepszego bardziej detektywistycznego. Nie jstem fanką tego wątku z astronautą. Ładne postacie grafiki I vibe