Alice Jones: The Impossible Clue

Alice Jones

by Sarah Rubin

Maths-whizz Alice has already solved a mystery or two. Persuaded by wannabe sidekick Sammy to investigate a scientist's disappearance, she's soon entangled in her trickiest case yet. Dr Learner is reputed to have invented an invisibility suit, but is whacky science really to blame for his vanishing? With the unlikely help of erstwhile nemesis Kevin, Alice solves the puzzle - only to face another. Should she reveal the truth, or protect her most devoted friend?

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Fiction, Mathematics, Childrens, Juvenile, Adventure

304 pages, Paperback

First published February 4, 2016

Reviews

[Anubha (BooksFullOfLife, LifeFullOfBooks)]

A nice cozy mystery. Reminded me of the books I used to read back in school. Alice is approached by Sammy to visit his dad's laboratory. When they go there, instead of an announcement of a new invention, they are told that the scientist has disappeared into thin air. This news is both unbelievable and shocking. Sammy somehow convinces his dad to hire Alice to solve the mystery and find the scientist. Mr Delgado (Sammy's dad) jokingly hires Alice just to gain positive publicity since Alice's dad is a news reporter.

It actually did feel impossible, yet very predictable. But it still gave such cozy vibes that I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.

[Magdalena Hai]

Tartuin tähän ammatillisesta mielenkiinnosta, koska lastendekkari on genre, joka on itselläni jäänyt harmillisen vähälle tutustumiselle. Ennakkoluulona minulla oli ehkä jotain sellaista, että lapsitoimijat ovat epäuskottavan aikuismaisia tai sitten rikokset niin lapsenomaisia, että täti pyörittelee hyväntahtoisesti silmiään. Yllätyin kyllä oikein positiivisesti. Päähenkilön matemaattinen erityislahjakkuus teki hänen välillä varsin aikuiset ongelmanratkaisukykynsä uskottaviksi, ja tykkäsin siitä, että hän oli sitten ihmisten kanssa vähän hönö. Moni as-piirteinen nuori ja lapsi ainakin tunnistanee tästä tyypistä vahvasti itsensä. Rikoskuvio oli oikein sopivasti jännä, eikä haavereiltakaan vältytty. Alicen perhekuviot vaikuttivat mielenkiintoisilta jatkon kannalta. Ainoa, mistä annan noottia on kirjan ulkoasu. Voisin nimittäin hyvin kuvitella, että tarina itsessään uppoaisi yhtä hyvin poikiin kuin tyttöihin, mutta kirja on todella vahvasti värikoodattu tyttöjen suuntaan ja blurbissakin mainitaan Neiti Etsivä. Voi tämän takia ikävästi jäädä väliin monelta sellaiselta poikalukijalta, jotka tykkäisivät tätä varsin menevää dekkaria lukea.

Suosittelen alakouluikäisille matemaattisten ongelmien, seikkailujen ja dekkareiden ystäville.

[Reetta Saine]

Mukavan erilainen lanu-dekkari, joka voisi mennä aika laajalle haitarille 2-7-luokilla (paitsi se ikä taidettiin mainita :(). Aika paksu, mutta nopsalukuinen.

Alice on nörtti, mutta ei yhtään niin matemaagisen koodaileva, kuin pääotsikossa sanotaan. Itse asiassa sitä olisi voinut vähän lisätäkin turhan kohelluksen oheen. Hymyilytti, jännittikin ja henkilöt ovat oikeasti pahiksia (aina ärsyttävästä siskosta alkaen). Näkymättömyydellä kikkailu ja lopun aika laaja tunnekirjo laajensivat romskun tusinatavarasta varteenotettavaksi vinkkauskirjasi sinne neloskutosille.

[Anu-vinkkari]

Stereotypioita vilisevä dekkari matikkanörtti-tytöstä, Alicesta, joka tykkää ja osaa ratkaista arvoituksia. Tytön perässä juoksee sitkeästi kaksi poikaa, joista toinen on rikas reppana ja toinen enkelikasvoinen "pahis". Lahjakkaan ja kauniin näyttelijäsiskon, lehtimiesisän ja italiassa asuvan äidin lisäksi muuta sosiaalista elämää ei ole. Ei yhtään ainoaa nimeltä mainittua ystävää. Älykäs tyttöhän ei tietenkään tarvitse /halua/löydä ystäviä. Ja ai niin, mainitsinko jo että Alice inhoaa shoppailua, meikkejä, mekkoja ja pinnallista kulttuurielämää. (Aaargh!)
Rikas poikarukka tarjoaa tutkittavaksi isänsä tutkimuslaitokselta kadonneen tiedemiehen arvoitusta ja enkelipahis liimaantuu Alicen kylkeen suojelemaan kun arvoitusta ratkaistaan. Kokenut dekkaristi pystyy päättelemään ratkaisun jo melko varhaisessa vaiheessa mutta lopulliset motiivit selviävät mukavasti vasta viimeisessä luvussa. Jännityksen sijaan kirja tarjoaa enemmänkin tyttökirjoille tyypillistä vauhdikasta menoa ja letkeää kuittailua.
Sarjan koodaa ja ratkoo -nimen jälkimmäinen osuus jäi arvoitukseksi, sillä skanneria, kännykkää ja googlea kummempia tietoteknisiä ulottuvuuksia ei kirjassa ollut. Matikkanörttiyskin ilmeni lähinnä niin että Alice haikaili kirjastoon, ilmoitti toistuvasti rakastavansa matematiikkaa ja kiperässä tilateessa hän sataan laskemisen sijasta laskikin alkulukuja.
Ei tämä huono ollut, mutta odotin kyllä paljon enemmän.
Vitoskutosille. Ehkä myös seiskoille.

[wanderer]

A delightful mystery for anyone who knows a middle-grade book is never just for kids. Alice is funny, gutsy, and clever, without being ridiculously mature for her age, like so many modern middle-grade books. A fun read with a satisfying ending. Can't wait for more Alice!

2nd read-through: I read this to my students and they loved it, especially the humor and fun similes. (The villain's hairpiece stood straight up "like the lid of a garbage can" and exposed his smooth pink scalp.) They were laughing aloud at the second-to-last chapter, and I had to stop reading to join them a couple of times.

3rd read-through: a different set of kids, some of who didn't like it as much as I expected, but those who did were totally into it. Again, hysterical laughter over the last couple of chapters, and I gave in to read one more chapter and finish it before we went home today.

[Linnea]

Sympaattinen varhaisnuorille suunnattu etsivätarina ilahdutti ja viihdytti. 12-vuotias matematiikkaa rakastava Alice päätyy ratkomaan kadonneen näkymättömyystutkijan arvoitusta ja pähkäilee samalla perhesuhteitaan. Näin aikuislukijana sain kirjasta lähinnä nostalgiafiilistelyä, olisin varmaan tykännyt tästä hulluna parhaimpina Neiti Etsivä- ja Mystery Club -aikoinani. Leppoisa, tuttua kaavaa noudattava romaani.

[Sarah Johnson]

Mystery is not a genre I enjoy reading, but this will be one that many fourth and fifth graders will love if they like mysteries.

[Toby]

I'm a big fan of adventure and mystery stories that feature intelligent, independent girls as the hero. Alice Jones does not disappoint. Although she is joined by a couple of boys in her adventures, there is never a sense that she is in any way reliant on them, and she is clearly in charge.

Well written, exciting, and gripping. Alice Jones is a character who shows us its cool to be clever, but at the same time she isn't flawless and she has personal and family challenges that she must face in her life in top of the big mystery she is investigating. I was worried at one point that the book was going to have a weak conclusion, but it turned out pretty good and closed with a nice little thought about life.

Content suitable for all ages
Reading level 9+

[Zoe]

Upbeat, modern detective story, celebrating intelligent curious girls. Science, sums and friendship (sometimes where least expected) are the key ingredients in this mystery that made my 11 year old say with a big smile on her face: "I LIKE maths!"

[Chương Nguyễn]

Một cuốn truyện trinh thám nhẹ nhàng dành cho thiếu nhi, nhưng 26 tuổi mà đầu óc đơn giản cu te thì đọc vẫn thích. :">

Nhân vật chính là một cô nhóc thám tử tuổi 12 - yeah có lẽ là hơi nhỏ so với cái hình vẽ già khú như ngoài 30 được vẽ ở bìa sách, và yeah mình đã hoàn toàn ko để ý đến độ tuổi của nhân vật chính khi đặt hàng trên Tiki. : )) Tính cách già dặn nhưng vẫn rất hợp lí đối với một đứa trẻ, thám tử Alice Jones cho mình cảm giác về một đứa bạn mà mình sẵn sàng chơi trò khám phá bí ẩn cùng. :P

Truyện ko khó đoán nhưng cũng ko dễ để chắc chắn bất cứ điều gì khi mới chỉ đọc 2/3 nên mình vẫn nghĩ đây là một cuốn khá ổn về cốt truyện (căn bản mình cũng chả thông minh lắm nên có khi đa số mọi người đoán được hết nhưng mình thì éo). Ngoài vụ án ra thì những chi tiết về nhân vật cũng dễ thương phết hehe, các nhân vật có sự nhất quán trong hành động và suy nghĩ, nhưng cũng có cả những nhân vật có sự phát triển như Della hay chính Alice Jones.

Về tác giả, chị ấy có bằng cử nhân sáng tác nên viết gần như ko bao giờ sử dụng tính từ đứng một mình (mà luôn thay bằng hoặc đi kèm một mệnh đề so sánh), đồng thời rất hạn chế sử dụng trạng từ một cách ko cần thiết. Thực ra mình cũng mới được khai sáng về cách viết ko-dùng-tính-từ thời gian gần đây nên lúc đầu cảm giác đọc hơi bị ngộp vì chỗ nào cũng phải hình dung xem cái cảm giác đó của tác giả thực sự là gì, nhưng càng đọc càng thấy cách viết này có chiều sâu và dễ chịu.

À đấy là chưa nói về humour của chị tác giả. Mình ngồi ở Starbucks mà cười phọt ra "HA" một cái làm cả quán quay lại nhìn ok lần cuối cùng đọc truyện buồn cười kiểu này ở Starbucks nhé hừm. : ))

[Emma H.]

2 1/2 stars. I debated whether to give this book two or three stars, but two felt a bit too harsh. I've decided that one star will be reserved for the books I hate and wish I had never read/wish the book had never existed, of which there are few. Two stars mean that I did NOT like the book, but that I think some reasonable people on this earth might, and I would possibly recommend it to them. Three stars mean that I read it, I didn't think it was too bad, but I probably wouldn't read it again, and it was meh. Four stars will mean that I liked the book a lot, and couldn't really find any problems with it, or maybe there was a problem that I'm willing to ignore because the rest was so good. Five stars mean AWESOME book, and that I absolutely love it, and would reread it.

Whew! Sorry, I'll start on the review now. So, the reason this book is not better is because I just felt like the writing had something lacking. The whole book doesn't make sense, and I don't get why it was written. One of the only things the author managed to make me do is dislike Sammy immensely and get mad at Alice for constantly giving in to him even when she didn't want to, and apparently, she's a strong heroine. Please! It really doesn't make sense that she likes math that much either. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind math, and I'm sure some people love it. But no twelve-year-old girl spends her summer solving Goldbach's conjecture for fun. I really just thought this was silly. But some kids, maybe 4th to 5th grade, would like this.

[Sage]

Glad I read the second one (Ghost Light) first, because it's much, much better. I'm not sure I would have gone on to read it if I'd read them in order.

My biggest issue is that the only brown people in the book are evil and/or pathetic. There's no diversity and certainly no inclusiveness, as Alice spends the whole book bad-mouthing Sammy. I mean, there's nothing wrong with not liking another kid. The problem is when that kid is the SOLE representation of nonwhite kids in a kid's book. Add a bunch more brown folk and all's well. (Note: I noticed the absence of brown folk in Ghost Light as well, but it's so very "classic mystery novel of the 1930s" pastiche that I thought it might be a stylistic thing. Apparently not?)

There are also a few super-clunky plot things that annoyed me, but I can handwave them. It's really nice to have a kidlit detective who's feminist by default, into STEM in interesting ways, adventurous, opinionated, and from a nontraditional family.

[Abby Johnson]

Solving mysteries are really just like solving puzzles: something that Alice Jones is really good at and loved to do. No wonder the kids at her school say she's the best at solving mysteries. When a classmate literally has her dragged into a mystery happening at his dad's science lab, Alice is reluctant to help at first. But a scientist gone missing in the middle of supposedly developing an invisibility suit? It's too intriguing to pass up, especially for Alice who lives and breathes science and math. Could a competing science lab have something to do with the mysterious disappearance? Did Dr. Learner run away? Or did someone take him?

This is a great choice for science-minded kids who like a mystery story and it's especially nice to see a girl in that scientific role. Alice is a little like Encyclopedia Brown: super smart with a great memory and very thorough.

[Theunis Snyman]

Juvenile mystery that adults can also read. The heroine is a smart girl who counts in prime numbers or the Fibonacci Sequence when she is stressed. In her spare time she tries to solve Goldbach's Conjecture or reads books in the mathematics section of the library. She also suffers from OCD because she is constantly counting something. She would rather go to museums than do shopping with her mother. But don't let this put you off. It just shows her character. It is quite a delightful impossible crime mystery with plenty of action.

Only one thing bothers me and that is that the words " the truth will set you free" are constantly used, as in one place in this book, for any kind of truth. It is originally used in the Bible for just a certain kind of truth. I hate it when people uses something that's original meaning gets lost by making it a general truth. Thus heresies and lies are born.

[Debra]

This is a fabulous mystery for elementary or middle schools where the genre is needed. The main character is teased by a classmate and another classmate fauns on her and neither are classmates she wants to hang with, but the mystery requires it. (The way that becomes clear is itself fascinating.) Her father is a news writer and allows her to work through a missing person in their town (as long as he gets the scoop, of course). The danger is real, the money involved in the scandal that the missing scientist appears to be is massive, and the loyalty of the sleuth to her classmates is palpable. (She also has a twin who is her polar opposite and their reunion (one lives with Dad while the other lives with Mom) is on point and entertaining. I look forward to adding this to my collection and to talk it up with my 5th graders, especially.

[Katri]

Ihan ok lasten jännäri. Päähenkilö matikkaa rakastava nörttityttö ja ratkaistavaan mysteeriin liittyi kadonnut tiedemies ja näkymättömyyspuku. Voisin suositella jännäreistä pitävälle.

Mutta yllättävän vähän kirjassa tapahtuu. Asioita pyöritellään, mutta mikään ei tunnu liikkuvan mihinkään ensimmäisen 200 sivun aikana. Enemmän olisi saanut olla toimintaa. Lisäksi nerokas päähenkilö oli aika naiivi, ja jossain kohtaa se tuntui vähän ristiriitaiselta, kun fiksu lapsi menee johonkin helppoon ansaan. Toisaalta päähenkilön kautta varmasti lapsi saa näkökulmia siihen, että vaikka tekisi mieli uskoa kaikista hyvää, niin kaikki ihmiset eivät ole hyviä.

[Nancy]

Seventh-grade math whiz Alice Jones is recruited by Sammy to help his father find Dr. Learner, a scientist who disappeared from a locked room while working on a top-secret invisibility suit. Using keen observation, logic, and common sense, Alice (assisted by classmates Sammy and Kevin) searches for clues to solving the seemingly unsolvable mystery. Alice soon realizes she is not the only one looking for Dr. Learner. With car tires screeching and danger around each corner, she knows mysterious men are hot on her trail, and the danger quotient amps up. This middle-grade mystery invites inquisitive readers to search for answers alongside these three young sleuths.

[Jennifer Robb]

This was on the sale shelf at the library. It's a cool cozy mystery for the young adult age group and above.

What I liked:
*the main character is a girl--and a girl who likes math at that!
*The main character makes friends with at least one person who wasn't a close friend during the school year.
*the main character makes peace with her sister and mother and they learn (somewhat) to respect different interests.

What I didn't like:
*the main character being made to feel odd because she is a girl who likes math

[Suzanne]

In this book Alice gets asked to help find a missing scientist. Supposedly he has been working on an invisibility serum and the rumor is he has been successful. Alice has to find out if he really did discover the secret or if something else is going on here? Alice doesn't really act or respond like a typical middle schooler but that aside the mystery is well paced and the conclusion is satisfying.

[Safaa]

I really enjoyed reading this book ; it was a great thriller! As soon as I finished 1 chapter I needed to read another. However towards the end of the book the story drags a little bit, which made me feel a bit bored of the book.I thought that the story as a whole was fantastic but I wish that the mystery was revealed sooner. When I finally found out the outcome of the mystery I was disappointed as there wasn't much detail and it ended very quickly.

[Jessica]

This book was better than I thought it would be. Alice Jones is a detective. When Dr. Learner disappears mysteriously, Sammy tells Alice that she has to find him. Alice has to find time in her busy life with her twin sister home for the summer and helping her dad with his crime article in the paper. When she actually finds Dr. Learner, the clues don't add up. With Kevin's help, she makes the clues add up and she solves the mystery for good.

[Alisha]

3.5 stars. A fun mystery about a girl who just won’t give up. It dragged a bit in some places, some things seemed like they happened too easily for Alice, and the Sammy story line seemed out of place at times, but overall I liked Alice and her math-loving brain. The family dynamics were interesting and helped round out the story.

[Erja Linnonmaa]

Tämä ei tehnyt suurtakaan vaikutusta. Henkilöhahmot olivat liian ohuita, kliseisiä. Dialogi oli kuin TV-sarjasta.Myös käännös tökki jotenkin. Mutta täytynee odottaa lasten omaa mielipidettä, tarjoan alakoulun 4-6 lk. Ei pääse vielä varsinaiselle vinkkilistalle.
Alkuteoksen nimi on Invisible clue, ei impossible clue, kuten goodreads ehdottaa.

[Kirjamonsteri]

Aivan karmea kansi, enkä kyllä usko että ainakaan tässä ekassa osassa koodataan yhtään mitään. Vinkkaan tätä nelos-kutosille ja pidän kirjaa kädessä niin, että tuo kansi ei näy :D Ihan mukava dekkari ylifiksusta lapsesta. Tästä tuli kovasti mieleen Alan Bradleyn Flavia de Luce :) Juoni oli oikeasti jännittävä ja olisin kyllä tykännyt tästä kovasti n. 10-vuotiaana.

[Margaret Pemberton]

A great read for those who are into mystery stories. Alice is a likeable and very strong character and her family and friends make a fantastic supporting cast. This is the first in the series and the second story is just as good.

[Becca]

A good book. An easy read for me.
I liked Alice and the fact that she didn't get on with her sister.
Similar vibes to Nancy Drew, Famous Five etc. Detective girl solves a mystery with logical thinking

[Lara Samuels]

I like Alice. She is a believable character with smarts, spunk, and sibling issues- real life.

Read aloud potential.

[Suzannah Seerden]

I really enjoyed this book. You will be on the edge of your seat when you read this book.

[Jaye Latts]

What a great story! Wonderful protagonist, excellent writing, and a well-constructed mystery! I hope the author writes continuing adventures for Alice Jones, Crime Breaker!

[Elizabeth]

This book is about a clever 12-year-old girl. Who loves to solve all of her school mysteries. But then a scientist went missing and she is going to solve this case.