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Agatha Oddly #1
The Secret Key
Meet thirteen-year-old Agatha Oddly – a bold, determined heroine, and the star of a stylish new detective series.
Agatha Oddlow has been a detective for as long as she can remember – she’s just been waiting for her first big case. And nothing gets bigger than saving the City of London from some strange goings-on.
With a scholarship to the prestigious St Regis School, a cottage in the middle of Hyde Park, a room full of beloved sleuthing novels, and a secret key that gives her access to a whole hidden side of London, Agatha is perfectly poised to solve the mystery of what’s going on. But just who can she trust when no one is quite who they seem…
Agatha Oddlow has been a detective for as long as she can remember – she’s just been waiting for her first big case. And nothing gets bigger than saving the City of London from some strange goings-on.
With a scholarship to the prestigious St Regis School, a cottage in the middle of Hyde Park, a room full of beloved sleuthing novels, and a secret key that gives her access to a whole hidden side of London, Agatha is perfectly poised to solve the mystery of what’s going on. But just who can she trust when no one is quite who they seem…
Audiobook
First published June 28, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 296 reviews
July 21, 2018
LOVED THIS. Super smart and tightly plotted, one of my favourite debuts of the year so far.
May 28, 2021
No, I'm not a Agatha Christie fan, but this middle grade based on the same is so goooddddddd.
June 9, 2025
2 stars ⭐️ Mainstream/Secular Fiction - Middle-Grade Mystery (non-murder)
Hmmm. I’m always game for trying out a new middle-grade mystery and so, I decided to read this one. I started with the audiobook and then picked up an ebook copy to read faster and make more notes about the content.
First things first: Lena Jones is a pen name for a group of writers. I’ll admit to having mixed feelings about that for different reasons. I will say that the ending seemed a little fanatical-like—similar to writing a childhood story about a very cool girl who becomes even cooler as the book continues as she does age-defying events. I can’t quite put my figure on it, but it reminds me of something. Like being young and creating a fictional character or version of yourself where they are awesome and nothing stands in their way of their mission or can hurt them? Where they know everything? That’s kind of what Agatha reminded me of. Written in her first person POV, it’s a bit choppy at times and also has some drawn-out words (such as Agatha thinking her father can be “soooo closed-minded sometimes”) and Okay is written as OK when spoken, which I thought was strange. For my fellow Americans, when a character speaks in this book instead of double quotation marks, it’s single ones, so that takes a bit to get used to.
As far as the main character Agatha: I think Agatha and Myrtle (from the “Myrtle Hardcastle” series) would get along splendidly. Though Myrtle has to deal with murders and Agatha has to deal with a mysterious red slime and mean girls at school, they would probably like each other. That said, I prefer Myrtle because she didn’t purposely break rules and think she knows better than authority figures.
I think my main problems with this book/plot can be described in three points-
1. Agatha’s actions -
Throughout the book, Agatha often sneaks out (of home and school, sometimes in disguises), lies, and goes against authority figures (like her father and school headmaster) plus can also come across as sassy/disrespectful to adults. This all happens multiple times and I didn’t care for it. She is in a hurry to solve the mystery—and why? Because she wants to solve it before the police do. Frankly, I don’t think that’s a reasonable answer and would tell you that Agatha is incredibly stubborn and will push to get her way thinking that she knows best, even if her safe or loved ones as threatened, citing having to find out the answer of what is happening. I don’t think this is a good character trait at all and I would caution parents about this book because of her sneaking out, lies, and disobeying (especially if your reader is one to mimic what they read about). She has a rebellious attitude that didn’t endear her to me.
As an additional note, when sneaking out, Agatha often wears disguises to keep her father or villain from recognizing her. At other times and recalling past times she’s tried to get information out of others, she dresses up like a nurse, a plumber, or a caterer. Other times it’s just a wig in a different hair color. I’m not sure why Agatha thinks she could pass as an adult in her disguises—especially ones as a plumber, nurse, or catering staff—jobs that are for adults.
As a bonus note, Agatha did have a bit of a “I’m not like the other girls” or even a “better than” attitude—and while we can think that maybe she’s recently acquired it because of moving to a new school where there’s snobs aplenty—it was unfortunate to see especially because it’s towards the classic cliché of a trio of mean girls who like shopping, make-up, phones/social media, and being girly. This is overdone in fiction in my opinion and unnecessary because there’s nothing wrong with liking those things within reason, but because it’s the mean girls and Agatha is our main character to cheer for, it pits the reader against the trio and adds girl drama to the plot.
2. Language -
For a middle-grade book which has the target age of 8-12, there was more language than I was expecting—especially from Agatha’s age group. Perhaps the group of writers and the publisher feel better by marking this book as ages 11+, but I still don’t think that makes it acceptable to have cursing or God’s name taken in vain in French.
3. Suspending disbelief -
An adult reader often has to suspend their disbelief at times when reading middle-grade mysteries, but I had to do that the most I’ve ever done for a book because of some of the events in this book, particularly at the end. Many things felt like stretches and honestly, unrealistic. I don’t mean to say I always expect a book to be 100% realistic (because that’s not much fun, I’ll admit!) but so many events of this book felt completely not possible. See my comment on Agatha dressing up as a nurse to gain access to a hospital after visiting hours. Or even the reaction of the person she went to visit. Or perhaps the entire ending.
Agatha also shoots a gun at some point and it’s noted that while Agatha has never shot one before, she’s read about it (thus completely doable) and calls a “weapon of destruction”.
*Spoiler*
Would I continue with the rest of the series? I suppose, if only to see if there’s any improvement about Agatha’s actions (which I highly believe will not get better, in all honestly, as she’s stubborn and thinks she knows best) and see what trouble she gets into next.
Main Content-
(This section will have some minor spoilers about events in this book unmarked, but nothing major like giving away the culprit or motivation will be disclosed.)
Spiritual-
Because Agatha is often bringing up Agatha Christie and Poirot, her father says that “not everything Poirot says is gospel, you know” (which she ignores this comment); Agatha thinks that it’s no good waiting for a miracle and that she has to act to solve the mystery instead; A man says it’s as “hot as brimstone” outside; Agatha thinks that a place could have “sulphurous flames and demons pacing in the darkness” and it would fit; Someone comments that there’s a water shortage of “biblical proportions” happening; A place reminds Agatha of “old Roman amphitheatres, where Christians were thrown to the lions as entertainment”.
Agatha uses smelling salts on someone (calling it “ammonium carbonate with lavender oil”) and another who wasn’t aware of what it was, says “ah, aromatherapy. New age.” (Which Agatha sighs and responds “if you say so”; It is brought up once more).
When searching for a symbol, Agatha tells Liam to check Masonic symbols, alchemical, and witchcraft symbols.
A few mentions of luck; A mention of a reincarnation of Julius Caesar; A mention of a place seeming haunted; A mention of a woman saying it’s nonsense to believe in unlucky numbers; A mention of a TV psychic.
Language-
1 ‘Mon dieu’ (my God), 1 ‘damn’ (adult), 1 ‘damned’ (chapter title describing a vision of something), 3 unfinished ‘what the…?’ (classmates), 1 ‘what the heck’ (classmate), 1 “sacred the bejeezus out of me” (classmate), and 2 ‘who/what the hell’ (one by an adult and one by a classmate).
A few mentions of curses (said or implied, but not written; including Agatha cursing once and then almost swearing once again); Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Sassy & Disrespectful comments; Some eavesdropping.
Negative-
Agatha lies to adults to gain the information she wants and/or to keep them from knowing what she’s doing (including to her father); Agatha notes that she doesn’t like to be forbidden to do something (rebellious).
When asking her father about poisonous plants and he comments on being worried about her fascination with morbid things and thinking she isn’t living in the “real world”, Agatha thinks “this is not a new discussion. Dad loves to talk about the REAL WORLD, as though it’s a place I’ve never been to. Dad worries that I’m a fantasist – that I’m only interested in books about violence and murder. He’s right, of course.”
Agatha hears the headmaster giving “sermons on innocence and obedience” and him commenting that “The rules are there to protect students from themselves. Stay within the rules, children, and you have nothing to fear…” which she added “…and nothing to gain”.
Agatha is grabbed by an adult man, threatened (with harm to her, her father, and the fact she could be an orphan if something happens to her father), and knocked out with a smelly rag; She is scared and recalls his words throughout the book, but continues to try to find out answers (but wear disguises so she won’t be caught by the man or her father) and is excited that she’s stumbled on a big enough case for someone to threaten her about it; See her third sneaking out of school for more information.
Agatha sneaks out of school (thrice:
The first time: she wants her best friend to come with her, but because there is a maths test that he wants to take, he does not go with her and covers for her by recording her voice saying “Here”; Agatha sneaks out via the rubbish bins and a school employee catches her in the bin, but after she promises this is the last time, he lets her go; She feels adrenaline once she’s out of the school grounds like she’s “alive”; She has to cut through the park her father works at and has to keep out of sight of him or his gardeners, but is caught by one and lies to her; Her father lectures her, grounds her, & she considers giving up being a detective for a few pages.
The second time: She sneaks out with a friend despite knowing her dad warned her against it, but is having too much fun so they sneak into a press conference for information and have to runaway when they are caught; They go back to school lying that the friend was injured and that was why they were delayed to school.
The third time: With Liam to rescue a friend and are chased by the headmaster after pulling the fire alarm; She tries to pick a lock at a place, but is granted entry by the villain; The villain aims a gun at the group and plans to kill them, *Spoilers* .)
Agatha sneaks out of the house (twice:
The first time: she is grounded from sneaking out of school and while she realizes she would be disobeying dad, figures she needs to solve the mystery; She goes to the hospital dressed up as a nurse and sneaks in; This plan involves lying; When she gets home, she is scared that something could have happened to her dad and sleeps on his floor; She tries to get home early the next day to keep from disappointing him.
The second time: While scared, she still sneaks out at night to gain answers from someone.)
Agatha steals keys from her dad’s key ring; Agatha has nightmares of deaths and people drowning; Agatha keeps secrets from her father (such as being threatened, drugged and chloroformed, and ripping her school skirt).
Agatha heard someone being hit by a motorbike and helps the old woman who was hit (by calling the ambulance and checking her pulse, but also stealing a piece of paper that was in her hand); Agatha is afraid that the woman may have died when she looks too peaceful (but didn’t); Agatha believes this event to be deliberate; Agatha tells her best friend Liam that she needs to solve the case before the police do and later says she has better leads than the police when Liam brings up about leaving it to the police, but he ultimately says she can count on him; Later, they argue and he wants her to stop investigating the case which causes a rift.
Agatha’s mother passed away prior to the book (because of an accident—implied she and her bicycle were hit by a car) and she misses her throughout the story (this is seen as Agatha will talk aloud to tell her mum another her day & goes to her grave to talk to her while laying on it and feels her mother brush her hair).
Agatha and her father have made friends with a homeless man in the park (who her father made sure was safe after Agatha met him first) and Agatha brings him food in the mornings; Because he isn’t supposed to sleep in the park, he tells Agatha not to tell her father we’re he slept one day (though her father is aware of him sleeping in the park and appreciates him warding off possible graffiti artists).
Agatha has different “premonitions” about events happening like imagining a man having a knife stick out of his back and asking her to avenge him, her father being in a hospital bed, or someone being gagged and sunk into a vat of liquid (none of these are true or come true, it’s just her imagination or a bad dream).
Agatha finds it easy to zone out (particularly when being lectured by her school’s headmaster on her recent trouble-making) and imagines things more interesting, such as Hercule Poirot talking to her in her imagination; She also imagines words floating in the sky as clouds or popping up into her vision when thinking hard about a topic.
Agatha and her best friend, Liam, sit at “exile island” which is where all the “weird kids” sit for lunch; They both deal with a trio of mean girls (who taunt and tease Agatha along with shoving a book into her chest; Agatha insults their intelligence once); Because of the mean girls, Agatha thinks that sometimes she hates her school more than anywhere in the world and doesn’t think she fits in with all the other students (as she is a scholarship student and everyone else are the sons and daughters of millionaires); Agatha avoids a beating from the mean girls; One of the girls is teased by the others and Agatha finds her crying; A boy teases a girl about her “wee”; A boy at school runs a very successful betting ring at Agatha’s school.
Some pop culture references such as mentions of Agatha Christie and her characters and books, the model Lulu (which Agatha has a poster of for some reason?), Breakfast at Tiffany’s staring Audrey Hepburn, 1960s singer François’s Hardy, & suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst).
Many mentions of red slime infecting London’s water supply and there being a lot of looters and stealing for water bottles because of it; Mentions of a tattoo; Mentions of smoking & cigarettes; Mentions of pubs & alcohol (including Agatha saying she doesn’t want any when she thinks a classmate is offering her some); A few mentions of bad dreams; A few mentions of blood & blood spatters; A few mentions of historical murder cases with stabbings and unidentified body parts found; A couple mentions of Agatha being grounded; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of horror movies; A mention of the theory that the royal family are giant lizards; A mention of Oscar Wilde being arrested and dragged to prison (not said for what); A mention of a girl’s brother lying to their parents about his job.
Sexual/Romance-
One of the mean girls posts an unflattering picture of another girl in the trio with the caption “Hot or Not?”, which hurts her feelings a lot.
Agatha notices some girls at school staring at her best friend Liam (noting that it’s been happening a lot lately since his growth spurt) and scowling at her with him; When Agatha gives Liam a “radiant smile”, he agrees to her plan (which she notes that “for some reason, this always works”); Liam gives Agatha a hug to comfort her and when he lets out, she feels a little sad because it felt nice to be held by him.
A girl implies her brother has multiple girlfriends.
When Agatha notices details about her well-dressed headmaster, she comments on him having a lunch date with his wife but due to his sputters and repeats about “his….wife”, a reader can guess that he isn’t meeting his wife for lunch (implying an affair or that he isn’t meet a woman).
A mention of Agatha thinking a girl is more interested in impressing boys than anything else.
Hmmm. I’m always game for trying out a new middle-grade mystery and so, I decided to read this one. I started with the audiobook and then picked up an ebook copy to read faster and make more notes about the content.
First things first: Lena Jones is a pen name for a group of writers. I’ll admit to having mixed feelings about that for different reasons. I will say that the ending seemed a little fanatical-like—similar to writing a childhood story about a very cool girl who becomes even cooler as the book continues as she does age-defying events. I can’t quite put my figure on it, but it reminds me of something. Like being young and creating a fictional character or version of yourself where they are awesome and nothing stands in their way of their mission or can hurt them? Where they know everything? That’s kind of what Agatha reminded me of. Written in her first person POV, it’s a bit choppy at times and also has some drawn-out words (such as Agatha thinking her father can be “soooo closed-minded sometimes”) and Okay is written as OK when spoken, which I thought was strange. For my fellow Americans, when a character speaks in this book instead of double quotation marks, it’s single ones, so that takes a bit to get used to.
As far as the main character Agatha: I think Agatha and Myrtle (from the “Myrtle Hardcastle” series) would get along splendidly. Though Myrtle has to deal with murders and Agatha has to deal with a mysterious red slime and mean girls at school, they would probably like each other. That said, I prefer Myrtle because she didn’t purposely break rules and think she knows better than authority figures.
I think my main problems with this book/plot can be described in three points-
1. Agatha’s actions -
Throughout the book, Agatha often sneaks out (of home and school, sometimes in disguises), lies, and goes against authority figures (like her father and school headmaster) plus can also come across as sassy/disrespectful to adults. This all happens multiple times and I didn’t care for it. She is in a hurry to solve the mystery—and why? Because she wants to solve it before the police do. Frankly, I don’t think that’s a reasonable answer and would tell you that Agatha is incredibly stubborn and will push to get her way thinking that she knows best, even if her safe or loved ones as threatened, citing having to find out the answer of what is happening. I don’t think this is a good character trait at all and I would caution parents about this book because of her sneaking out, lies, and disobeying (especially if your reader is one to mimic what they read about). She has a rebellious attitude that didn’t endear her to me.
As an additional note, when sneaking out, Agatha often wears disguises to keep her father or villain from recognizing her. At other times and recalling past times she’s tried to get information out of others, she dresses up like a nurse, a plumber, or a caterer. Other times it’s just a wig in a different hair color. I’m not sure why Agatha thinks she could pass as an adult in her disguises—especially ones as a plumber, nurse, or catering staff—jobs that are for adults.
As a bonus note, Agatha did have a bit of a “I’m not like the other girls” or even a “better than” attitude—and while we can think that maybe she’s recently acquired it because of moving to a new school where there’s snobs aplenty—it was unfortunate to see especially because it’s towards the classic cliché of a trio of mean girls who like shopping, make-up, phones/social media, and being girly. This is overdone in fiction in my opinion and unnecessary because there’s nothing wrong with liking those things within reason, but because it’s the mean girls and Agatha is our main character to cheer for, it pits the reader against the trio and adds girl drama to the plot.
2. Language -
For a middle-grade book which has the target age of 8-12, there was more language than I was expecting—especially from Agatha’s age group. Perhaps the group of writers and the publisher feel better by marking this book as ages 11+, but I still don’t think that makes it acceptable to have cursing or God’s name taken in vain in French.
3. Suspending disbelief -
An adult reader often has to suspend their disbelief at times when reading middle-grade mysteries, but I had to do that the most I’ve ever done for a book because of some of the events in this book, particularly at the end. Many things felt like stretches and honestly, unrealistic. I don’t mean to say I always expect a book to be 100% realistic (because that’s not much fun, I’ll admit!) but so many events of this book felt completely not possible. See my comment on Agatha dressing up as a nurse to gain access to a hospital after visiting hours. Or even the reaction of the person she went to visit. Or perhaps the entire ending.
Agatha also shoots a gun at some point and it’s noted that while Agatha has never shot one before, she’s read about it (thus completely doable) and calls a “weapon of destruction”.
*Spoiler*
Would I continue with the rest of the series? I suppose, if only to see if there’s any improvement about Agatha’s actions (which I highly believe will not get better, in all honestly, as she’s stubborn and thinks she knows best) and see what trouble she gets into next.
Main Content-
(This section will have some minor spoilers about events in this book unmarked, but nothing major like giving away the culprit or motivation will be disclosed.)
Spiritual-
Because Agatha is often bringing up Agatha Christie and Poirot, her father says that “not everything Poirot says is gospel, you know” (which she ignores this comment); Agatha thinks that it’s no good waiting for a miracle and that she has to act to solve the mystery instead; A man says it’s as “hot as brimstone” outside; Agatha thinks that a place could have “sulphurous flames and demons pacing in the darkness” and it would fit; Someone comments that there’s a water shortage of “biblical proportions” happening; A place reminds Agatha of “old Roman amphitheatres, where Christians were thrown to the lions as entertainment”.
Agatha uses smelling salts on someone (calling it “ammonium carbonate with lavender oil”) and another who wasn’t aware of what it was, says “ah, aromatherapy. New age.” (Which Agatha sighs and responds “if you say so”; It is brought up once more).
When searching for a symbol, Agatha tells Liam to check Masonic symbols, alchemical, and witchcraft symbols.
A few mentions of luck; A mention of a reincarnation of Julius Caesar; A mention of a place seeming haunted; A mention of a woman saying it’s nonsense to believe in unlucky numbers; A mention of a TV psychic.
Language-
1 ‘Mon dieu’ (my God), 1 ‘damn’ (adult), 1 ‘damned’ (chapter title describing a vision of something), 3 unfinished ‘what the…?’ (classmates), 1 ‘what the heck’ (classmate), 1 “sacred the bejeezus out of me” (classmate), and 2 ‘who/what the hell’ (one by an adult and one by a classmate).
A few mentions of curses (said or implied, but not written; including Agatha cursing once and then almost swearing once again); Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Sassy & Disrespectful comments; Some eavesdropping.
Negative-
Agatha lies to adults to gain the information she wants and/or to keep them from knowing what she’s doing (including to her father); Agatha notes that she doesn’t like to be forbidden to do something (rebellious).
When asking her father about poisonous plants and he comments on being worried about her fascination with morbid things and thinking she isn’t living in the “real world”, Agatha thinks “this is not a new discussion. Dad loves to talk about the REAL WORLD, as though it’s a place I’ve never been to. Dad worries that I’m a fantasist – that I’m only interested in books about violence and murder. He’s right, of course.”
Agatha hears the headmaster giving “sermons on innocence and obedience” and him commenting that “The rules are there to protect students from themselves. Stay within the rules, children, and you have nothing to fear…” which she added “…and nothing to gain”.
Agatha is grabbed by an adult man, threatened (with harm to her, her father, and the fact she could be an orphan if something happens to her father), and knocked out with a smelly rag; She is scared and recalls his words throughout the book, but continues to try to find out answers (but wear disguises so she won’t be caught by the man or her father) and is excited that she’s stumbled on a big enough case for someone to threaten her about it; See her third sneaking out of school for more information.
Agatha sneaks out of school (thrice:
The first time: she wants her best friend to come with her, but because there is a maths test that he wants to take, he does not go with her and covers for her by recording her voice saying “Here”; Agatha sneaks out via the rubbish bins and a school employee catches her in the bin, but after she promises this is the last time, he lets her go; She feels adrenaline once she’s out of the school grounds like she’s “alive”; She has to cut through the park her father works at and has to keep out of sight of him or his gardeners, but is caught by one and lies to her; Her father lectures her, grounds her, & she considers giving up being a detective for a few pages.
The second time: She sneaks out with a friend despite knowing her dad warned her against it, but is having too much fun so they sneak into a press conference for information and have to runaway when they are caught; They go back to school lying that the friend was injured and that was why they were delayed to school.
The third time: With Liam to rescue a friend and are chased by the headmaster after pulling the fire alarm; She tries to pick a lock at a place, but is granted entry by the villain; The villain aims a gun at the group and plans to kill them, *Spoilers* .)
Agatha sneaks out of the house (twice:
The first time: she is grounded from sneaking out of school and while she realizes she would be disobeying dad, figures she needs to solve the mystery; She goes to the hospital dressed up as a nurse and sneaks in; This plan involves lying; When she gets home, she is scared that something could have happened to her dad and sleeps on his floor; She tries to get home early the next day to keep from disappointing him.
The second time: While scared, she still sneaks out at night to gain answers from someone.)
Agatha steals keys from her dad’s key ring; Agatha has nightmares of deaths and people drowning; Agatha keeps secrets from her father (such as being threatened, drugged and chloroformed, and ripping her school skirt).
Agatha heard someone being hit by a motorbike and helps the old woman who was hit (by calling the ambulance and checking her pulse, but also stealing a piece of paper that was in her hand); Agatha is afraid that the woman may have died when she looks too peaceful (but didn’t); Agatha believes this event to be deliberate; Agatha tells her best friend Liam that she needs to solve the case before the police do and later says she has better leads than the police when Liam brings up about leaving it to the police, but he ultimately says she can count on him; Later, they argue and he wants her to stop investigating the case which causes a rift.
Agatha’s mother passed away prior to the book (because of an accident—implied she and her bicycle were hit by a car) and she misses her throughout the story (this is seen as Agatha will talk aloud to tell her mum another her day & goes to her grave to talk to her while laying on it and feels her mother brush her hair).
Agatha and her father have made friends with a homeless man in the park (who her father made sure was safe after Agatha met him first) and Agatha brings him food in the mornings; Because he isn’t supposed to sleep in the park, he tells Agatha not to tell her father we’re he slept one day (though her father is aware of him sleeping in the park and appreciates him warding off possible graffiti artists).
Agatha has different “premonitions” about events happening like imagining a man having a knife stick out of his back and asking her to avenge him, her father being in a hospital bed, or someone being gagged and sunk into a vat of liquid (none of these are true or come true, it’s just her imagination or a bad dream).
Agatha finds it easy to zone out (particularly when being lectured by her school’s headmaster on her recent trouble-making) and imagines things more interesting, such as Hercule Poirot talking to her in her imagination; She also imagines words floating in the sky as clouds or popping up into her vision when thinking hard about a topic.
Agatha and her best friend, Liam, sit at “exile island” which is where all the “weird kids” sit for lunch; They both deal with a trio of mean girls (who taunt and tease Agatha along with shoving a book into her chest; Agatha insults their intelligence once); Because of the mean girls, Agatha thinks that sometimes she hates her school more than anywhere in the world and doesn’t think she fits in with all the other students (as she is a scholarship student and everyone else are the sons and daughters of millionaires); Agatha avoids a beating from the mean girls; One of the girls is teased by the others and Agatha finds her crying; A boy teases a girl about her “wee”; A boy at school runs a very successful betting ring at Agatha’s school.
Some pop culture references such as mentions of Agatha Christie and her characters and books, the model Lulu (which Agatha has a poster of for some reason?), Breakfast at Tiffany’s staring Audrey Hepburn, 1960s singer François’s Hardy, & suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst).
Many mentions of red slime infecting London’s water supply and there being a lot of looters and stealing for water bottles because of it; Mentions of a tattoo; Mentions of smoking & cigarettes; Mentions of pubs & alcohol (including Agatha saying she doesn’t want any when she thinks a classmate is offering her some); A few mentions of bad dreams; A few mentions of blood & blood spatters; A few mentions of historical murder cases with stabbings and unidentified body parts found; A couple mentions of Agatha being grounded; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of horror movies; A mention of the theory that the royal family are giant lizards; A mention of Oscar Wilde being arrested and dragged to prison (not said for what); A mention of a girl’s brother lying to their parents about his job.
Sexual/Romance-
One of the mean girls posts an unflattering picture of another girl in the trio with the caption “Hot or Not?”, which hurts her feelings a lot.
Agatha notices some girls at school staring at her best friend Liam (noting that it’s been happening a lot lately since his growth spurt) and scowling at her with him; When Agatha gives Liam a “radiant smile”, he agrees to her plan (which she notes that “for some reason, this always works”); Liam gives Agatha a hug to comfort her and when he lets out, she feels a little sad because it felt nice to be held by him.
A girl implies her brother has multiple girlfriends.
When Agatha notices details about her well-dressed headmaster, she comments on him having a lunch date with his wife but due to his sputters and repeats about “his….wife”, a reader can guess that he isn’t meeting his wife for lunch (implying an affair or that he isn’t meet a woman).
A mention of Agatha thinking a girl is more interested in impressing boys than anything else.
July 20, 2022
Wow wow WOW. This was so epically AMAZING. Such a great detective mystery MG, & I love the way this was done. Meet 13 year-old Agatha Oddly – a bold, determined heroine. Agatha Oddlow has been a detective for as long as she can remember – she’s just been waiting for her first big case. And nothing gets bigger than saving the City of London from some strange goings-on. With a scholarship to the prestigious St Regis School, a cottage in the middle of Hyde Park, a room full of beloved sleuthing novels, & a secret key that gives her access to a whole hidden side of London, Agatha is perfectly poised to solve the mystery of what’s going on. But just who can she trust when no one is quite who they seem…Agatha is a PHENOMENAL MC. I fell absolutely in love with her. She is named after THE Agatha lol, & she definitely lives up to the name. She is smart, resourceful, sneaky, charming, calculating, imaginative, kind, brave, & so much more..not to mention interesting & highly entertaining. She has a need for adventure, & a love for investigating. She definitely isn’t afraid to take risks. I love that she has a wardrobe of disguises too. I love the way she “changes channel”, can flip through her “memory filing cabinets”, so to speak lol, with her photographic memory. I loved the secondary mystery we slowly learn about concerning her moms past & her death, & of course absolutely loved the main mystery with the water, the mystery attacker, etc. Everything was so intriguing & gripping from the mysteries, to the key, the underground tunnels, & more. I LOVED her dad. What a great guy. Loved his job, & the setting of their little “garden cottage”, especially Agatha’s room-such vivid writing I could picture myself there. Her best friend Liam is also the absolute BEST. I loved their dynamic, & he really grounds her(as much as Agatha can be lol). They made an amazing team. Great humor in here as well. This is full of danger, adventure, mystery, suspense, friendship, intrigue, imagination, & more. HIGHLY recommend! BEAUTIFUL cover by Alba Filella too.💜
February 6, 2019
Schon als Grundschülerin habe ich alle Sherlock Holmes Romane verschlungen. Ich war das einzige Kind, dass die Erlaubnis hatte, dafür in der Erwachsenenabteilung der Dorfbücherei zu stöbern. Auch heute noch bin ich ein großer Fan – daher ist es nicht verwunderlich, dass ich sofort auf Agatha Oddly angesprungen bin.
Agatha Oddlow löst für ihr Leben gerne Rätsel. Zusammen mit ihrem besten Freund hat sie sogar eine eigene Detektei gegründet. Nur leider bleiben die Fälle aus. Das liegt vielleicht daran, dass ihr Umfeld sie für seltsam hält – ODDLY eben. Nur ihr Vater vergöttert sie. Ihre Mutter kam bei einem tragischen Unfall ums Leben, den selbst Agatha nie aufklären konnte.
Jeder Mensch ist ein Rätsel, Agatha. Jeder da draußen auf der Straße hat eine eigene Geschichte, eigene Gründe dafür, warum er so ist, wie er ist, eigene Geheimnisse. Das sind die wirklich wichtigen Rätsel.
Eines Morgens wird Agatha Zeuge, wie eine ältere Dame wird von einem Motorradfahrer angefahren wird. Das ist der Beginn für Agathas ersten richtigen Fall… der bald ernster wird, als es ihr lieb ist und wichtiger als erwartet…
Der Stil des Buches ist rasant und actionreich mit viel Humor. Der Fall an sich ist mega spannend, leider wird die Erzählung immer wieder mit Agathas blühender Fantasie und Tagträumen angereichert. Mich hat das sehr verwirrt. Ok – dass da kein kleiner Hercule Poirot auf dem Schreibtisch des Rektors rumhüpft, kann ich mir denken und klar als Phantasieausbruch erkennen. Bei anderen Szenen, die durchaus real sein könnten und sich dann als nicht real herausstellen ist das schon schwieriger. So wurde mein Lesefluß immer wieder gebremst und ich musste Realität und Fiktion sortieren. Schade, denn ohne diese Tagträume wäre es ein fantastisches Buch gewesen. Aber ich habe hier eine Leserin im empfohlenen Lesealter und ich weiß genau, dass Jette das auch schlecht für sich trennen könnte und schnell die Lust am Lesen verlöre.
Die Tagträume bewirken auch, dass die Protagonistin viel jünger wirkt, als angegeben. Agatha ist für mich kein Teenager – auch wenn ihr Umfeld sie so behandelt. Ich habe eher eine moderne Pippi Langstrumpf vor mir gesehen die sich zwar schlau aber auch extrem phantasiereich durchs Leben schlägt.
Lena Jones ist ist nicht nur der Künstlername einer Autorin, sondern eher ein Sammelbegriff. Dahinter steckt ein junges Autorenteam, das zusammen mit dem Verlag Harper Collins die Reihe Agatha Oddly entwickelt hat. Ich bin kein Fan von diesem neuen Trend. Bisher konnte mich kein Buch überzeugen, das von mehr als zwei Autoren geschrieben wurde. Vielleicht greift hier doch der alte Spruch „Viele Köche verderben den Brei.“ Typisch für diese Bücher war immer, dass zu viel in das Buch reingepackt wurde. So auch hier.
Ohne die Tagträume wäre Agatha Oddly – das Verbrechen wartete nicht volle 5 Lieblingslesesessel wert. Denn der Fall an sich war klasse. So vergebe ich gute 4 von 5 Lieblingslesesessel und empfehle das Buch eingeschränkt allen, die sich nicht so leicht verwirren lassen.
Agatha Oddlow löst für ihr Leben gerne Rätsel. Zusammen mit ihrem besten Freund hat sie sogar eine eigene Detektei gegründet. Nur leider bleiben die Fälle aus. Das liegt vielleicht daran, dass ihr Umfeld sie für seltsam hält – ODDLY eben. Nur ihr Vater vergöttert sie. Ihre Mutter kam bei einem tragischen Unfall ums Leben, den selbst Agatha nie aufklären konnte.
Jeder Mensch ist ein Rätsel, Agatha. Jeder da draußen auf der Straße hat eine eigene Geschichte, eigene Gründe dafür, warum er so ist, wie er ist, eigene Geheimnisse. Das sind die wirklich wichtigen Rätsel.
Eines Morgens wird Agatha Zeuge, wie eine ältere Dame wird von einem Motorradfahrer angefahren wird. Das ist der Beginn für Agathas ersten richtigen Fall… der bald ernster wird, als es ihr lieb ist und wichtiger als erwartet…
Der Stil des Buches ist rasant und actionreich mit viel Humor. Der Fall an sich ist mega spannend, leider wird die Erzählung immer wieder mit Agathas blühender Fantasie und Tagträumen angereichert. Mich hat das sehr verwirrt. Ok – dass da kein kleiner Hercule Poirot auf dem Schreibtisch des Rektors rumhüpft, kann ich mir denken und klar als Phantasieausbruch erkennen. Bei anderen Szenen, die durchaus real sein könnten und sich dann als nicht real herausstellen ist das schon schwieriger. So wurde mein Lesefluß immer wieder gebremst und ich musste Realität und Fiktion sortieren. Schade, denn ohne diese Tagträume wäre es ein fantastisches Buch gewesen. Aber ich habe hier eine Leserin im empfohlenen Lesealter und ich weiß genau, dass Jette das auch schlecht für sich trennen könnte und schnell die Lust am Lesen verlöre.
Die Tagträume bewirken auch, dass die Protagonistin viel jünger wirkt, als angegeben. Agatha ist für mich kein Teenager – auch wenn ihr Umfeld sie so behandelt. Ich habe eher eine moderne Pippi Langstrumpf vor mir gesehen die sich zwar schlau aber auch extrem phantasiereich durchs Leben schlägt.
Lena Jones ist ist nicht nur der Künstlername einer Autorin, sondern eher ein Sammelbegriff. Dahinter steckt ein junges Autorenteam, das zusammen mit dem Verlag Harper Collins die Reihe Agatha Oddly entwickelt hat. Ich bin kein Fan von diesem neuen Trend. Bisher konnte mich kein Buch überzeugen, das von mehr als zwei Autoren geschrieben wurde. Vielleicht greift hier doch der alte Spruch „Viele Köche verderben den Brei.“ Typisch für diese Bücher war immer, dass zu viel in das Buch reingepackt wurde. So auch hier.
Ohne die Tagträume wäre Agatha Oddly – das Verbrechen wartete nicht volle 5 Lieblingslesesessel wert. Denn der Fall an sich war klasse. So vergebe ich gute 4 von 5 Lieblingslesesessel und empfehle das Buch eingeschränkt allen, die sich nicht so leicht verwirren lassen.
May 20, 2020
Summary: Agatha Oddlow is a thirteen year old girl who has always been very passionate about mysteries. In this novel she puts her detective skills to the test in order to save the city of London. Agatha and her friends embark on a dangerous venture to unmask who is behind the pollution of red algae in Londons’ water system before it’s too late...
This book was underwhelming. I really wanted to like it but, I just didn’t. I found myself trying to read the book quicker just so that I could finish it. The beginning started off well and I thought I’d enjoy the book but, i quickly started to lose interest. The side characters felt very one-dimensional and under developed. I also didn’t like the way the mystery wrapped up. It felt slightly rushed and I was left pretty disappointed. I wasn’t shocked or entrained by the ending at all if I’m being honest.
I especially didn’t like how the main character Agatha had a ‘I’m not like other girls’ attitude which is something I really despise and I hate this trope in books. To have this shown in a middle grade book is just even more frustrating as it’s so harmful. This puts girl/women down and pits them against each other. It also perpetuates the notion that because some girls like to wear make up or enjoying shopping and doing their hair etc... they’re less than. What’s wrong with liking these things? Thinking ‘I’m not like other girls’ is associating the qualities you hate with girls/women.
I won’t be continuing with the series because of all the problems I had with the first book. It was an alright read but I just wasn’t hooked or captivated and I found myself quite bored at times. Having said all this I may feel this way because I’m not the target audience as I know the book is catered to younger readers. I’m 17 however, I strongly feel that anyone can read children books, middle grade and YA regardless of age. This book in particular just may have not worked for me because I am older than the target audience.
September 29, 2020
If you're looking for a totally fun mystery middle grade book, look no more!
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The Secret Key is the very first novel in a brand new series by Lena Jones revolving around the adventures of Agatha Oddlow, a thirteen-year-old girl who's addicted to crime novels and wishes nothing more than to become a detective. And, she kind of is, already!
Due to her father's job, she lives in a small cabin in Hyde Park, which also happens to be the center of a few mysterious happenings. When things escalate and London's water supply is contaminated by a toxin, Agatha steps in to save the day!
An exceptionally-written novel, which kept you the readers in agony about what is going to happen next, how Agatha is going to get past each obstacle and what is really going on behind the scenes.
Considering this was the debut book of Lena Jones, I can't emphasize enough how impressed I was and how excitedly I'm waiting to read on in the series, as well as the future works of the author.
Our heroine is awesome, brilliant and accurately named after Agatha Christie. She is the perfect introduction to the famous crime novelist for young readers, who will grow up reading more mystery adventures!
I know, for one, I was captivated, mesmerized and set on reading the rest of Agatha Oddly's great adventures!
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc, in exchange for an honest review.
Blog ∙ YouTube ∙ Instagram ∙ Facebook ∙ Twitter
The Secret Key is the very first novel in a brand new series by Lena Jones revolving around the adventures of Agatha Oddlow, a thirteen-year-old girl who's addicted to crime novels and wishes nothing more than to become a detective. And, she kind of is, already!
Due to her father's job, she lives in a small cabin in Hyde Park, which also happens to be the center of a few mysterious happenings. When things escalate and London's water supply is contaminated by a toxin, Agatha steps in to save the day!
An exceptionally-written novel, which kept you the readers in agony about what is going to happen next, how Agatha is going to get past each obstacle and what is really going on behind the scenes.
Considering this was the debut book of Lena Jones, I can't emphasize enough how impressed I was and how excitedly I'm waiting to read on in the series, as well as the future works of the author.
Our heroine is awesome, brilliant and accurately named after Agatha Christie. She is the perfect introduction to the famous crime novelist for young readers, who will grow up reading more mystery adventures!
I know, for one, I was captivated, mesmerized and set on reading the rest of Agatha Oddly's great adventures!
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc, in exchange for an honest review.
Read
December 30, 2022Have you ever read a detective novel and then think that you have predicted the murderer/villian and at the end of the book, you find out that it is a cliffhanger…..😭
The book was quite good but the ending was loose, and one thing that disappointed me the most is that how slow is the book😢 I expected a lot from this book❤️
I loved the main character, Agatha, she was quite smart and kind😊 I loved the opening scene, and in case of twists, there was a big twist towards the end of the book…..I wasn’t surpised though because that was predictable….. I liked the atmosphere of this book very much!!!!❤️
I kept guessting till the end who could the villian be, but , no…..the villian wasn’t revealed at the end😢
I liked it! It is worth a try!❤️❤️
The book was quite good but the ending was loose, and one thing that disappointed me the most is that how slow is the book😢 I expected a lot from this book❤️
I loved the main character, Agatha, she was quite smart and kind😊 I loved the opening scene, and in case of twists, there was a big twist towards the end of the book…..I wasn’t surpised though because that was predictable….. I liked the atmosphere of this book very much!!!!❤️
I kept guessting till the end who could the villian be, but , no…..the villian wasn’t revealed at the end😢
I liked it! It is worth a try!❤️❤️
March 2, 2021
2.5 stars. The beginning was cute, liked that Poirot popped sometimes. I quickly got rather bored by this and it made me sad. I like middle grade from time to time but this wasn't for me. I might try the next book to see if I like it better because the writing wasn't bad and it was rather fun at parts.
October 23, 2025
That was quite an adventure.... I found myself running with Agatha and Liam.... After getting to know the characters the journey was sooo gooooddd......
Gotta admit i can't call this predictable... There's a twist at last gaaawwwddddd i didn't see that coming... I was sooo sooo satisfied with the way it all ended.. All set to be with them on the next adventure..♥
Gotta admit i can't call this predictable... There's a twist at last gaaawwwddddd i didn't see that coming... I was sooo sooo satisfied with the way it all ended.. All set to be with them on the next adventure..♥
May 16, 2018
I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
First of all, mystery has always been something that I love and I was so eager to read this series. A 13 year old detective, named after my favorite mystery's author, Agatha Christie? Never going to miss that.
What we have here is Agatha, a 13-year old girl, named after the famous Agatha Christie, living only with his dad. She is one little girl with the longing for adventure, wild imaginations, and of course, deduction skills. In those ordinary days, she is one called trouble maker. Because of her wild imaginations, she always wants to know about everything and investigate it, so she said.
Written from her point of view, I enjoy seeing what's inside her mind, wondering what it's like to be a very smart girl and it's so fun! The adventures and little things that she wants to explore are so refreshing.
Although I have to say close to end the plot is quite predictable, but I enjoy reading until there. The mysteries, the hidden code and everything are what I would expect from a mystery book and The Secret Key is no disappointment! I really enjoy the book and could not wait to join this series for another adventure of Agatha Oddly (man I almost forgot her name, forgive me) and her side-kick, Liam (is it weird that I'm so into her side-kick because he's so amazing?)
Note: My boyfriend was reading this with me for some part and he said it was amazing and wanted to read it himself! Yay to that
First of all, mystery has always been something that I love and I was so eager to read this series. A 13 year old detective, named after my favorite mystery's author, Agatha Christie? Never going to miss that.
What we have here is Agatha, a 13-year old girl, named after the famous Agatha Christie, living only with his dad. She is one little girl with the longing for adventure, wild imaginations, and of course, deduction skills. In those ordinary days, she is one called trouble maker. Because of her wild imaginations, she always wants to know about everything and investigate it, so she said.
Written from her point of view, I enjoy seeing what's inside her mind, wondering what it's like to be a very smart girl and it's so fun! The adventures and little things that she wants to explore are so refreshing.
Although I have to say close to end the plot is quite predictable, but I enjoy reading until there. The mysteries, the hidden code and everything are what I would expect from a mystery book and The Secret Key is no disappointment! I really enjoy the book and could not wait to join this series for another adventure of Agatha Oddly (man I almost forgot her name, forgive me) and her side-kick, Liam (is it weird that I'm so into her side-kick because he's so amazing?)
Note: My boyfriend was reading this with me for some part and he said it was amazing and wanted to read it himself! Yay to that
May 28, 2019
When you're really enjoying a book but then it hits you with the "the villain is crazy" trope
May 1, 2018
eCopy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Every so often I change up my reading and read a middle grade book. Almost every time I realise how amazing they are and vow to read more. Never has the case been more true than with Agatha Oddly. This book isn't even released yet and I already want the next one!
This book was just fantastic. I started and finished it in a single day. I just couldn't separate myself from the wonderful, quirky personality that is Agatha. She's a 13 year old girl with more gumption than I had at that age or even have now in my late 20's.
Agatha is named after Agatha Christie and I think her special appreciation for Detective Poirot is going to introduce a new generation to those stories. I know at nearly 30 years old by the second mention of Hercule in this book I was ready to find out what I've been missing by not having ready Agatha Christie yet.
This book made a wonderful and refreshing change from all the romance novels I read. I am so looking to seeing where this exciting new series goes from here.
Every so often I change up my reading and read a middle grade book. Almost every time I realise how amazing they are and vow to read more. Never has the case been more true than with Agatha Oddly. This book isn't even released yet and I already want the next one!
This book was just fantastic. I started and finished it in a single day. I just couldn't separate myself from the wonderful, quirky personality that is Agatha. She's a 13 year old girl with more gumption than I had at that age or even have now in my late 20's.
Agatha is named after Agatha Christie and I think her special appreciation for Detective Poirot is going to introduce a new generation to those stories. I know at nearly 30 years old by the second mention of Hercule in this book I was ready to find out what I've been missing by not having ready Agatha Christie yet.
This book made a wonderful and refreshing change from all the romance novels I read. I am so looking to seeing where this exciting new series goes from here.
October 4, 2020
Was für eine süße, spannende Detektivgeschichte für Kinder ab 11 Jahren. Agatha lebt in London, genauer gesagt im Hyde Park mit ihrem Vater. Ihr größter Wunsch ist es eine richtige Detektivin zu werden und zu ermitteln. Sie führt "Gespräche" mit Hercule Poirot und denkt wie Sherlock. Als eine Dame in ihrer Anwesenheit angefahren wird, und das Wasser in ganz London ungenießbar wird, zählt sie eins zu eins zusammen und nimmt mit ihren Freunden die Ermittlungen auf.
April 14, 2019
I love this book. It was a bit weird reading this after reading the second one, but it was still really really good.
May 25, 2019
This was cute. It reminds me of Ruby Redfort so if you loved this you’d love that series
January 7, 2021
Very good and thrilling
May 28, 2019
‘Everybody is a puzzle, Agatha. Everyone in the street has their own story, their own reasons for being the way they are, their own secrets. Those are the really important puzzles.’
After reading over 150 romances this year, I wanted to read something innocent and something completely out of my age group. There comes Agatha Oddly with her enchanted melody of a great time, a tiny bit of tears and a hell lot of entertainment. This was absolutely a brilliant read.
Thirteen years old Agatha wanted to be a detective, ever since her mum got her addicted to crime books when she was a little girl. She knew there was no other path for her than the investigation of the world around her. When an older lady gets knocked out in Hyde Park, and London's water system is polluted with toxic algae, she knows she needs to step in and solve a crime of her lifetime. The dangerous adventure begins...
That girl knows what she wants and is not afraid to take it. That girl is confident, good-hearted and absolutely the sweetest. I wish I was not afraid to take risks as she did. She thought me not to care about others opinions and put my chin up and take my world into my own hands. My heart was crying for her and her story but she's strong and I know she will be ok. Agatha is my new hero. With her, I could solve any problem out there...
I recommend this book not only to kids at any age but also to their parents. These books hold more wisdom than most of the adult books out there. It was also entertaining, adorable and I literally cannot wait to join Agatha and her friends at their future adventures. From the cute cover, that I have fallen in love from the first sight, to every single page inside, I was sold to this author and her masterpiece. Loved it and added to my favorites!
PS. I have spent an hour to write a review and then it did not save up... I hate when that happens and stupidly I did not copy it beforehand... So this review might seem rushed but I literally lost my patience...
After reading over 150 romances this year, I wanted to read something innocent and something completely out of my age group. There comes Agatha Oddly with her enchanted melody of a great time, a tiny bit of tears and a hell lot of entertainment. This was absolutely a brilliant read.
Thirteen years old Agatha wanted to be a detective, ever since her mum got her addicted to crime books when she was a little girl. She knew there was no other path for her than the investigation of the world around her. When an older lady gets knocked out in Hyde Park, and London's water system is polluted with toxic algae, she knows she needs to step in and solve a crime of her lifetime. The dangerous adventure begins...
That girl knows what she wants and is not afraid to take it. That girl is confident, good-hearted and absolutely the sweetest. I wish I was not afraid to take risks as she did. She thought me not to care about others opinions and put my chin up and take my world into my own hands. My heart was crying for her and her story but she's strong and I know she will be ok. Agatha is my new hero. With her, I could solve any problem out there...
I recommend this book not only to kids at any age but also to their parents. These books hold more wisdom than most of the adult books out there. It was also entertaining, adorable and I literally cannot wait to join Agatha and her friends at their future adventures. From the cute cover, that I have fallen in love from the first sight, to every single page inside, I was sold to this author and her masterpiece. Loved it and added to my favorites!
PS. I have spent an hour to write a review and then it did not save up... I hate when that happens and stupidly I did not copy it beforehand... So this review might seem rushed but I literally lost my patience...
January 29, 2019
Dieses Buch hat mir absolut Spaß gemacht!
Nicht nur das "Smart, smarter, Agatha" hier absolut zutreffend ist, auch der Schreibstil und die tollen Ortsbeschreibungen innerhalb Londons machen dieses Buch zu einem echten Leseerlebnis!
Agatha Oddlow hat mich mehr als ein Mal an Sherlock Holmes in Form von Benedict Cumberbatch erinnert und auch im Großen und Ganzen hatte die Story oft eine Portion BBC Charme.
Die Charraktere sind jeder für sich interessant und großteils Sympatisch, natürlich gibt es auch hier Gegenspieler und Erzfeinde, die Story durchgehend unterhaltsam und spannend so weit man es in einem Kinderbuch erwarten kann.
Ich freue mich wirklich auf mehr Agatha!
Nicht nur das "Smart, smarter, Agatha" hier absolut zutreffend ist, auch der Schreibstil und die tollen Ortsbeschreibungen innerhalb Londons machen dieses Buch zu einem echten Leseerlebnis!
Agatha Oddlow hat mich mehr als ein Mal an Sherlock Holmes in Form von Benedict Cumberbatch erinnert und auch im Großen und Ganzen hatte die Story oft eine Portion BBC Charme.
Die Charraktere sind jeder für sich interessant und großteils Sympatisch, natürlich gibt es auch hier Gegenspieler und Erzfeinde, die Story durchgehend unterhaltsam und spannend so weit man es in einem Kinderbuch erwarten kann.
Ich freue mich wirklich auf mehr Agatha!
July 9, 2023
3.5 stars
This was a very enjoyable and quick read. I liked Agatha and there were some good topics (subtly) interwoven. The mystery was also nice, although slightly farfetched.
This was a very enjoyable and quick read. I liked Agatha and there were some good topics (subtly) interwoven. The mystery was also nice, although slightly farfetched.
December 24, 2020
A decent high stakes middle-grade following an Agatha Christie-loving 13yo girl, set in a London summer.
I did have a few issues with the attitude of the main character Agatha though. She very much had a 'not like other girls' attitude where she put other girls down for liking traditionally feminine things. She also commented on a paramedic being 'slow' because they didn't know an obscure and dated term for smelling salts? There was also a plot point where she suspected a homeless man of being one of the 'villains'; this was addressed somewhat but I don't think being immediately suspicious of homeless people should be normalised to children since there's already so much stigma against those who have to live on the streets.
These weren't major concerns for me personally however, so I do think I will be continuing with the series as I like the look of where the plot's going!
I did have a few issues with the attitude of the main character Agatha though. She very much had a 'not like other girls' attitude where she put other girls down for liking traditionally feminine things. She also commented on a paramedic being 'slow' because they didn't know an obscure and dated term for smelling salts? There was also a plot point where she suspected a homeless man of being one of the 'villains'; this was addressed somewhat but I don't think being immediately suspicious of homeless people should be normalised to children since there's already so much stigma against those who have to live on the streets.
These weren't major concerns for me personally however, so I do think I will be continuing with the series as I like the look of where the plot's going!
April 27, 2020
I quite liked this though it was a little hard to get into and did drag a bit. Not sure how happy I am now I have discovered it was writtn by a team of writers like a soap.
July 29, 2018
Also Posted on For The Love of Fictional Worlds
Disclaimer: A Physical Copy was provided via Harper Collins India in exchange for an honest review. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.
Actual Rating 4.5 Stars
I remember falling in love with mysteries and adventures when I was first introduced to Nancy Drew – I fancied myself to be a detective; seeing secrets to be unraveled everywhere I went – this was the reason why I fell in love with reading; for it gave me a chance to see the world around me with new eyes.
The Secret Key, the first in a new series, reminded me exactly of that feeling – it was a nostalgic moment to be reminded of the reason why I fell in love with reading in the first place!
The Secret Key follows the ambition of Agatha Oddly; a thirteen year old girl who loves solving mysteries; she has even started her own Detective Agency with her best friend, Liam – but her big break comes when she sees an old woman run down by a biker – and find a tattoo of a key on her arm. Soon London discovers that their water supply has been contaminated and that sets her, and she brings along her best friend, Liam, on her adventure.
This was a fun, adventure filled mystery – even at times, to the point of life threatening danger; but since this fiction, I was totally along for the ride! I loved everything about the book; even if there were a few unfinished threads (and one glaring mistake of information!) that were left hanging, not the arching story arc of course; but of this current mystery, that left me a bit without closure!
This is a series that I will definitely recommend every one who is a fan of Nancy Drew, Famous Five & Hardy Boys; a middle grade fiction that is the start to a wonderful new series!
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March 7, 2019
3,5 Sterne
Ich wollte eigentlich nur mal kurz in dieses Buch reinlesen und habe auf den ersten Seiten so viel Freude beim Lesen empfunden, dass ich Kapitel um Kapitel verschlungen habe. Vor allem die Protagonistin Agatha fand ich liebenswert sowie toll gezeichnet. Sie liebt die Bücher von Agatha Christie und das Lösen von Rätsel, weshalb sie sich - trotz ihres jungen Alters - gerne mal als Detektivin betätigt. Letzteres allerdings bisher nur mit mäßigen Erfolg. Davon lässt sie sich jedoch nicht entmutigen - genauso wenig wie die abfälligen Kommentare, die einige ihrer Mitschüler von sich geben. Sie steht zu sich, ihrer Leidenschaft und ihren Entscheidungen bzw. dem was sie für richtig hält. Und dieses Mal scheint sie wirklich an einer großen Sache dran zu sein...Die Geschichte selbst fand ich spannend gestaltet, wenn ich auch finde das manches zu einfach zu lösen war, was es hier und da etwas unrealistisch gemacht hat. Nichtdestotrotz war es fesselnd bis zum Schluss.
Mein abschließendes Fazit:
Definitv eine süße Detektivgeschichte für Klein und Groß!
Ich wollte eigentlich nur mal kurz in dieses Buch reinlesen und habe auf den ersten Seiten so viel Freude beim Lesen empfunden, dass ich Kapitel um Kapitel verschlungen habe. Vor allem die Protagonistin Agatha fand ich liebenswert sowie toll gezeichnet. Sie liebt die Bücher von Agatha Christie und das Lösen von Rätsel, weshalb sie sich - trotz ihres jungen Alters - gerne mal als Detektivin betätigt. Letzteres allerdings bisher nur mit mäßigen Erfolg. Davon lässt sie sich jedoch nicht entmutigen - genauso wenig wie die abfälligen Kommentare, die einige ihrer Mitschüler von sich geben. Sie steht zu sich, ihrer Leidenschaft und ihren Entscheidungen bzw. dem was sie für richtig hält. Und dieses Mal scheint sie wirklich an einer großen Sache dran zu sein...Die Geschichte selbst fand ich spannend gestaltet, wenn ich auch finde das manches zu einfach zu lösen war, was es hier und da etwas unrealistisch gemacht hat. Nichtdestotrotz war es fesselnd bis zum Schluss.
Mein abschließendes Fazit:
Definitv eine süße Detektivgeschichte für Klein und Groß!
abgebrochen
June 7, 2022DNF
Das wurde sehr schnell von eher kindlich zu Ultrabösewicht und einfach in einem Maßstab, der keinerlei Suspension of Disbelief zuließ. Es fing ja schon damit an, dass Agathas Vater als Chefgärtner im Hyde Park mit Dienstcottage trotzdem nicht genug verdient, um einen simplen Kleiderschrank zu kaufen.
Und Agatha, gerade mal 13, sieht zu, wie jemand eine alte Dame anfährt, und schon am selben Tag werden sie und ihr Vater bedroht, damit sie bloß keine weiteren Nachforschungen anstellt? Obwohl sie noch nie einen Fall hatte, hält ihr Gegenspieler sie für wichtig und klug genug, ihn zu stoppen? Und ständig schwänzt sie die Schule - ja, sorry, ich find das unsympathisch und für ein so junges Mädchen ohne Probleme zuhause oder großartige Depression auch irgendwie deplatziert.
Also nein, ich hab nach einem Viertel abgebrochen.
Das wurde sehr schnell von eher kindlich zu Ultrabösewicht und einfach in einem Maßstab, der keinerlei Suspension of Disbelief zuließ. Es fing ja schon damit an, dass Agathas Vater als Chefgärtner im Hyde Park mit Dienstcottage trotzdem nicht genug verdient, um einen simplen Kleiderschrank zu kaufen.
Und Agatha, gerade mal 13, sieht zu, wie jemand eine alte Dame anfährt, und schon am selben Tag werden sie und ihr Vater bedroht, damit sie bloß keine weiteren Nachforschungen anstellt? Obwohl sie noch nie einen Fall hatte, hält ihr Gegenspieler sie für wichtig und klug genug, ihn zu stoppen? Und ständig schwänzt sie die Schule - ja, sorry, ich find das unsympathisch und für ein so junges Mädchen ohne Probleme zuhause oder großartige Depression auch irgendwie deplatziert.
Also nein, ich hab nach einem Viertel abgebrochen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up. It was extremely well written. Not your usual page turner. It's an extremely slow paced book which picks up the heart thumping, adrenaline rushing adventure during the last 20 percent. It did take me a while to get through the first half of the book. I liked Agatha and Liam and also the unlikely friendship with Brianna. Something about unlikely relations bring about the raw aspects of the characters.
Hopefully the next two in the series gives us adequate adventure throughout the entire book.
Edit :- I am not going to continue with this series because it's way too slow for my liking. I love mystery/thriller because of the feeling of being at the edge. This book, although well written didn't make me want to lose sleep in order to finish it. Hence, won't be continuing.
Hopefully the next two in the series gives us adequate adventure throughout the entire book.
Edit :- I am not going to continue with this series because it's way too slow for my liking. I love mystery/thriller because of the feeling of being at the edge. This book, although well written didn't make me want to lose sleep in order to finish it. Hence, won't be continuing.
June 15, 2021
3.75+ 🌟
It is a mild thriller and exactly the kind of book I need to get out of my current reading slump.
Agatha Oddlow, the protagonist, is a 13 year old wannabe detective living in London. She is a school kid, who gets into trouble with her School Principal frequently because of her detective activities. One day London is in a big crisis and our protagonist's attempts to save it and so it goes.
Protagonist's name is not a coincidence, it is inspired by Agatha Christie. There are numerous references to Agatha Christie's works, mainly Hercule Poirot character.
It's a causal read nothing more than that. Definitely appropriate for children.
It is a mild thriller and exactly the kind of book I need to get out of my current reading slump.
Agatha Oddlow, the protagonist, is a 13 year old wannabe detective living in London. She is a school kid, who gets into trouble with her School Principal frequently because of her detective activities. One day London is in a big crisis and our protagonist's attempts to save it and so it goes.
Protagonist's name is not a coincidence, it is inspired by Agatha Christie. There are numerous references to Agatha Christie's works, mainly Hercule Poirot character.
It's a causal read nothing more than that. Definitely appropriate for children.
Read
July 17, 2019I really enjoyed this book. Some of the things in the plot were slightly unrealistic (such as, when she was threatened or when someone went missing, why did she not contact the police? Or why didn't she tell her dad, who she seemed really close to, ANYTHING about her investigations?). However, I did find it an entertaining, easy read and if I were to see the next book in the library I'd happily pick it up.
December 24, 2021
Lena Jones creates an exciting romp through an interesting version of London - lots of unexpected characters, tunnels and events. Young readers will be enthralled - read it with them to share in the joy!
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