R.A.D. Detectives: The Case of the Missing Robot

by Laura L. Zimmerman

Alex and Ruby are the proud owners of R.A.D. Agency (Radically Awesome Detectives!) Along with their feline sidekick, Sherlock, (who also happens to be tailless) the two middle schoolers solve local mysteries and accept payment in cookies. (Chocolate chip, thank you very much.) When the sixth grade Santa robot goes missing (...pssst. His name is Mr. Jingles!), Alex and Ruby must solve the case of its disappearance and catch the thief. But with only five days left before vacation break—and multiple suspects—this case proves harder than they first thought. The stakes are raised when their teacher Miss Chang threatens to cancel their holiday party. Will they solve the mystery in time to save their party and their reputation?

Genres: Middle Grade

132 pages, Paperback

Published November 23, 2021

About the author

Laura L. Zimmerman lives in a tiny rural town in south-central Pennsylvania with her husband, daughters, and four adorable kitties.

She is currently a drinker of coffee by day, writer by night. Besides staying active with yoga, she’s passionate about anything Harry Potter or Jane Austen, and singing loudly. An avid reader, she often has overdue library fines, and a TBR pile as tall as the Eiffel Tower.

She loves to read and write YA fantasy & sci-fi, and middle grade mystery.

Reviews

[Marie (IfCatsCouldRead) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two best friends are the R.A.D Detectives. They have a treehouse, a friendly cat, and though they celebrate different winter holidays, are truly great friends. Ruby has a penchant for advanced vocabulary. Alex has to take care of younger siblings and is a tad jealous of Ruby being an only child. When the class project robot goes missing, Alex promises everyone they will solve the case. But after following all of their leads and with only one day left, they get very discouraged.
I loved this story! I wasn't sure how the ending could come about positively, but it did. It was such a perfect ending that was better than I could have imagined. This is a charming feel-good holiday story that any middle grade student would enjoy.

[H.L. Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read with some funny and heartwarming moment. The two young girl protagonists are believable with quirks and flaws that make them easily distinguished. The mystery is fairly simple/non-threatening, but it should be a good introduction to kids just exploring the genre.

[Kellie Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my 11 year old daughter:

"I really liked this book. It was easy to understand and the perfect length for middle grade readers. I liked the writing style. I couldn't figure out what would happen next like I do with most books, so I liked that. I hope the author writes more cases about the RAD detectives!"

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️🎄💚 Super Cute Christmas Mystery

What’s not to love about two best friends solving a classroom conundrum to save the class robot and the Christmas party? I loved this story and really appreciate the thoughtfulness and diversity woven throughout the storyline. This would be a great read for 4th-6th grade girls or even a fun family read-aloud for 1st-3rd.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

cutest book ever, love it so much. A good read. I recommend.

[Kandi J Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun middle grade mystery

From the opening line to the closing the story kept my attention and had all the feels of a good tale.