Minerva Keen's Detective Club

by James Patterson, Keir Graff

James Patterson has just created the most spine-tingling, creepy-crawling, giggle-producing kid’s detective club ever.
That’s ever .
 
Living in the luxurious Arcanum building—with its interior balconies perfect for playing tag, an elevator like an iron birdcage, and quirky neighbors behind every apartment door—has always been fun and games for twelve-year-old Minerva Keen … until her neighbors start getting poisoned. Anyone could be next, and everyone is a suspect, including Minerva herself.
 
To clear her name and help the police crack the case, Minerva starts her own detective club. So what if it has only two other members, one being Minerva’s accident-prone daredevil brother and the other being the biggest and quietest kid in school, who happens to be afraid of his own shadow? Minerva knows that with her brainpower, the club’s sleuthing skills, and case files full of suspects, they can unmask the poisoner … hopefully before it’s too late.
 
This page-turning new mystery series is packed with thrills, chills, laughs, and unforgettable characters and will leave kids eager to join the best club around.

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Juvenile, Audiobook

336 pages, Hardcover

Published May 1, 2023

About the author

Official US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Reviews

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

TITLE: Minerva Keen's Detective Club
AUTHOR: James Patterson and Keir Graff
PUB DATE: May 1, 2023 Now Available

Top 5 Reasons to read now

🔎 First in a series - a fun and funny detective club - super fun read - always great to read the first book
🔎 An awesome main character - Minerva Keen is a 12 year old that lives in the luxurious Arcanum building - with quirky neighbors and a lift that looks like a bird cage
🔎 if you enjoy Only Murders in the Building - then you are definitely going to love this fun MG detective mystery
🔎 This book is hilarious! But it’s also a page turner, a fast paced read, with red herrings, and fun twisty turns.
🔎 A perfect book for young readers looking for an exciting book that will bring out that reader in them.

[Jodi Cousins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating on behalf of my 10 year old daughter. She loved it…I read it to assist her with a school project :)

[Mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best part of this book was getting to do an in person buddy read with my friend Kate. <3

Overall, it was cute, and incredibly engaging. The mystery kept me guessing, with a very satisfying ending. My only complaints were some of the characters were very over the top, and all the deaths got sad.

[Kate Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quirky and fun! I was wondering what would happen next all the way through. A little bit of sophomoric humor and dark aspects took away from my enjoyment.

Buddy-read with The Very Awesome Mikayla. 🧡

[Camilla De Bernardi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una scrittura banale, una protagonista a tratti fastidiosa e un mistero decisamente poco intrigante. I lettori middle-grade si meritano molto, molto di meglio!
E poi, un editor avrebbe potuto ricordare a James Patterson la prima regola del decalogo di Knox sui romanzi gialli: "Il colpevole dev'essere un personaggio che compare nella storia fin dalle prime pagine"! Altrimenti che delusione...

[Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Patterson makes great, immersive worlds that I always fall into and don't want to leave. Minerva's world was no different.

Minerva is an amateur detective, so naturally, when people start to get hurt and die in her apartment complex, she's on the case. Add in her fantastic cook and daredevil of a brother, Heck, and a big, scary, but silent, friend, Santos, you get a detective club. Their first case: find out why Minerva's neighbors are dying.

I enjoyed this book, reading it very quickly. Minerva was an interesting character to follow. She seemed to not understand common things that people do, but when I thought back to myself when I was her age, I didn't really understand anything either.
Heck was funny and brought a lot of light to the story. His constant getting hurt added to the realness of the characters and their dynamics.
Santos turned stereotypes on their heads. Don't judge a book by it's cover.

The only thing I didn't enjoy about this story is the killer--animals and people that hadn't even been mentioned until the reveal?? Once Oskar was found, I figured it out, which isn't a bad thing. I just wish that the little hints throughout the novel had been hidden a little better--but I am older than the intended audience and watch a lot of crime shows. It still felt like a cheap ending.

[Cover Lover Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minerva’s Keen Detective Club is a fun kids-detective story with interesting characters trying to figure out why people in their apartment building are dying.

Minerva is a fun main character, and Heck (her brother) brought levity to the story. This is a relatively fast read for middle grade readers. There are humorous, laughable moments, and a satisfying ending.

This is the first book of a series, so there’s more cases for Minerva’s club to figure out. It’s an engaging read that is entertaining for potential inquisitive, amateur detectives.

First Line: At the marble-topped chess table in the wood-paneled lounge of our apartment building, I sat across from my elderly neighbor, Kermit Hermanson.
Series: Minerva Keen book 1
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Author: James Patterson, Keir Graff
Page Count: 336
Reading Age: 8-12

#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.

[Diana N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man, a bunch of kids taking on a poisoning case. This mystery has a fairly fast pace and is a good level for middle grade readers.

My daughter really loved the comedic parts since it kept the story a lot lighter and this book inspired her to want to be in a detective club with her friends. What case will Minerva take on next? This one had everyone guessing due to so many suspects.

Thank you to Little Brown Books and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minerva and her family leave in a building that seems to have a killer among them! First Minerva’s friend and chess buddy is poisoned, the. The lady who owns a yoga studio dies! It seems people are dropping like flies. Minerva, her brother Heck and Santos (her friend) are going to start a detective club and solve the mystery…unless they are next!

This is a great middle school book! I hope this a series!

[Leigh Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super fun detective mystery which feels like a modern day Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys! I enjoyed it a lot and would have read it in one sitting if I could have! The plot moved fast and the children were funny. There is humor and wit throughout. Pick this up for a fun quick read or to give to your late elementary/preteen reader I’m sure they will enjoy it too!

⚠️ Content warnings: sneaking around, theft (but person is caught), spiders, snakes, poisonings, hospitalizations

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a fan of middle grade mysteries, especially when the kids become detectives and solve the case. This had a nice bonus of the actual police detective listening to the kids and what they find instead of dismissing them or being rude.

The mystery was interesting and I thought the answer was surprising and fun. There was some bathroom humor that I didn't like, but a preteen might think is funny.

[Martha Firehock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rated by my 10 year old son

[Karen Courliss · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter recommended this book to me and it was really fun! I think it checked all the kid-approved boxes: burps, farts, creepy crawlies, and a parent-less home! :)

[IrenesBookReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the characters in this mystery as well as the process by which they solved the mysteries deaths. Some books that are written for this age group can be unbelievable because of non-descript characters or light conversations. This book's main characters are smartly written with personalities and conversations that flow and help with the storyline. I thought the mystery itself was great with a perfect number of twists and turns. Overall, a great story that keeps the reader engaged. I am looking forward to more in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, for the temporary digital ARC that I read and gave my honest opinion of.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by NetGalley. Only Murders in the Building for tweens. This moved along quickly and is a quick read; however, my students like a little more horror, but I’ll purchase anyway.

[Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Representation: Latino character
Trigger warnings: Hospitalisation, death and murder of people from poisoning, animal attack and death
Score: Six out of ten.

Minerva Keen's Detective Club by James Patterson and Keir Graff could have been better.

It starts with Minerva and Heck, with other guardians and relatives caring for them instead of their absent parents. Minerva was playing chess with another player when he collapses, leading her to investigate why.

The pacing is enough to keep the book going at less than 340 pages. Most characters have likability value, except Minerva with her irritating dialogue, and all lack relatability value, depth or development, but more would help.

Most of Minerva Keen's Detective Club is made of prose, but there are some pictures and handwritten notes that will not appeal to everyone. The black and white pictures felt more like portraits because they were illustrated and stylised.

The tone is tense and depressing as deaths pile up as Minerva continued her investigation. Despite the simple writing style, the heartbreaking mood may turn off some readers and may be inappropriate for its younger target audience, meaning the novel would be more appropriate for YA or adult readers who can handle death themes. Minerva is young, maybe 12, so it is unusual for her to look into this situation for people her age.

The writing style is accessible by avoiding purple prose but lacks detailed descriptions, even though more could help.

The conclusion was okay.

[Bibliophileverse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely nerve tingling and rocking
Minerva Keen's Detective Club by James Patterson & Keir Graff is an absolutely marvelous thriller and mystery YA book. The book is the first in Minerva Keen series, and, you cannot just miss it for being only for young readers. The plot starts in a posh building where unexplained murders start happening. Amateur detective Minerva Keen takes on the responsibility to uncover the truth. Then the story takes a new turn with every page. The book is so absorbing that I finished it within a day. I eagerly waiting for the next book in the series. Minerva Keen's character has everything which a teenage girl should have. She is funny, responsible and interesting. The climax is open ended, yet to reveal more of itself. It was really an enjoyable read.

Definitely, 5 stars for the book. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an opportunity to read and review the book.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

**Some spoilers in What I Really Think.**

Minerva and her brother Heck live in the apartment building in Chicago. Their very busy professional parents are off traveling the world, ostensibly for work, but always seem to be in the middle of something fun when the children call. An older cousin, Bizzy, who is in graduate school, is supposed to be nannying for the family, but more often than not, Minerva has to take care of her absent minded carer. When the older gentleman, Kermit, with whom Minerva plays chess collapses from a suspected heart attack, she's upset. She's interviewed by Detective Taylor as a matter of course, but strongly suspects that her friends was poisoned. When another resident, Serenity, who owns a nearby gym, is also poisoned by dies, Minerva knows she needs to use her detective ability in order to find out what's going on. She ropes in quiet classmate Santos Salgado to help, since Heck is often more of a danger to himself than an asset to investigations. The group is interviewing Mr. Park about the happenings in the building when he also collapses, which makes Delores, the head of the residents' association, suspicious. Of course, she is hiding secrets of her own, and when the doorman, Oscar, also dies from a suspected poisoning, everyone starts to worry in earnest. What is going on? Is this all tied to Kermit's past? Delores' criminal activity? When Bizzy herself is poisoned, Minerva and her crew have no time to waste, and find the culprit in an unexpected place.
Strengths: My students want mysteries, but they want MURDER mysteries. Aside from Stevens' Wells and Wong series (which is set in the 1930s, so not appealing to everyone) and Beil's Swallowtail Legacy series, there are not that many books for middle grade readers with murders. There are tons of cozy mysteries for adults, with fun settings like bookstores, coffee shops, or bakeries in small towns, and you'd think this would translate to middle grade fairly well. The apartment setting is fun, Heck is a good foil for his driven older sister, and Detective Taylor strikes a good note with taking Minerva seriously. I particularly liked how the mystery was solved, and if there are other books forthcoming, this is a perfect murder mystery for even upper elementary students.
Weaknesses: Yes, I know that middle grade characters need to be parent-free in order to have their freedom, but Minerva's parents seemed very odd, and Bizzy was not a good caregiver. There was no reason the parents couldn't have been in the building. The premise of the school "detective club" was unneccesary, and Santos wasn't a very well developed character. I would rather have seen Heck given a better role.
*Spoilers*
What I Really Think: While I haven't seen the television show Only Murders in the Building, this seems similar to the trailers I've seen. It's a cozy mystery, in that people keep dying in not too gruesome ways, people are sad but not too devastated, and the murders are all people they don't know too well. (Spoiler: Kermit and Bizzy survive.) Bonus points for the "murderer" not being a person; let's just say that lives could have been saved by having the exterminators visit on a regular basis. I'll definitely purcahse a copy.

[Dusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Patterson’s books are always great reads, and his latest middle-grade release with Keir Graff Minerva Keen’s Detective Club is no exception. Headstrong, intelligent and humorous young detective Minerva Keen takes on a new mystery as people in her apartment building start dying, and she’s determined to find out what’s going on. If you want a kid-friendly book with Only Murders in the Building vibes, I think this would be a great choice.

The book is filled with relatable characters. Minerva is super chatty and smart, and she has a quirky group of friends and family surrounding her. I particularly enjoyed little brother Heck’s character, and the exasperation Detective Taylor displays when he deals with Minerva’s near constant presence in the investigation. For audiobook fans, it’s worth noting that narrator Lauren Fortgang did an excellent job bringing Minerva’s character and personality to life with her performance in the audiobook.

Despite being older than the target audience, I enjoyed the childish humor in the book, with various fart and burp related jokes making an appearance. I also enjoyed the relatable middle-school problems that Minerva faces; making friends, recruiting members for her debate club, and dealing with her absent minded babysitter while her parents are away. On a separate note, the mystery of the story was fun to puzzle out; lots of red herrings and twists and turns until a surprise at the end of the book. The case files/notes that Minerva narrates periodically were helpful to keep track of things, and added a fun spin to the book.

Overall, Minerva Keen’s Detective Club was an entertaining read. It’s a great book for young readers who enjoy a good mystery, but I think it has the potential to appeal to older readers as well. It was a great start to the series, and I’m excited to get to read more about Minerva’s adventures in the future.

Thank you to the authors, the publisher jimmy patterson, the team at TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review the book immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed Minerva Keen’s Detective Club. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: At the marble-topped chess table in the wood-paneled lounge of our apartment building, I sat across from my elderly neighbor, Kermit Hermanson. Both of us were playing fast and furiously. I wanted to win so badly it was killing me.

Premise/plot: Minerva Keen starts a detective club after a series of strange occurrences at the apartment building where she leaves. The strange occurrences? Well a series of poisonings--a few residents die from the poison; a few manage to survive just long enough for the police (and Minerva's detective club) to solve the case. Minerva and her brother, Heck, are being cared for by their cousin, Bizzy, a college student, I believe. The parents are off--perhaps in more than one way. Essentially, all the kids are running amok, but, that might be beneficial considering how helpful they are to the police detective.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed so many aspects of this one. Was it realistic? No. Definitely more of an escape read. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. The "problems" in this one aren't like the problems you'd find in so called "problem books" that are super-serious and heavy. Yes, the parents are completely and totally missing and oblivious to their kids' needs. Yes, the cousin--who's in her early to mid 20s--isn't much more responsible. But on the bright side, the book almost sparkles with entertainment value.

All that being said, I cringe at the thought of the ending chapters of this one. I can't say why without spoiling. I'll give you a hint though--it's not clown or dentist related.

[Katie (spellboundbooks_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good middle-grade mystery and this one didn't disappoint! It definitely gave me Only Murders in the Building vibes and this team of detectives was fun to follow along with.

Minerva is a funny and headstrong little detective who won't let anything stop her from solving who is poisoning people in her building. She does a pretty good job of finding clues even the real detective on the case can't find. The twist ending even made it so I didn't see it coming - so I think this would be a perfect addition to your middle grade or school's library.

There was definitely some middle-grade humor in here with a lot of burping and some farting. But there is other humor along the way that everyone will enjoy. As a parent myself, I did find the lack of parental supervision disturbing - but this is a kid's book and also a middle schooler's dream to have parents away in another country and a flighty babysitter.

Quick, lighthearted read that I hope eventually becomes a series. Don't hesitate to let your children read this or put it in a school library. I highly recommend this one for fans of a fun mystery story. It got a 4-star rating from me.

Big thanks to Little Brown Books, James Patterson & Keir Graff, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my e-ARC of Minerva Keen’s Detective Club!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🔍 wanted to be a detective as a kid
😂 like to laugh
🕷️ hate spiders and other crawly creatures
😠 love to argue

• 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄

Minerva wants to start a debate club, but when no one joins, she creates a detective club instead.

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Minerva and her brother, Heck (short for Hector), live in an old building in Chicago. One day, while playing chess with her older neighbor, Kermit, he keels over. Confused, Minerva calls 911 only to end up in the middle of a suspected poisoning case. When more residents in her building start dropping dead, the police and Minerva believe they have a serial killer on their hands. With her brother and her new friend Santos, they form the Detective Club and decide to solve the mystery themselves!

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was a really fun read. It had a lot of laugh out loud moments - “A debate club with only one member would never work. People look at you funny if you talk to yourself--if you argue with yourself, they cross to the other side of the street.” - this one for example. I also loved how tenacious Minerva was. She wasn’t going to let anyone stop her or slow her down. The big reveal was perfect for middle grade readers, too! I can’t wait to read more in this series!

[Sara Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

** “Our members have to be curious, creative, and good at spotting clues.” **

James Patterson and Keir Graff join forces to deliver a fun new series with “Minerva Keen’s Detective Club.”

When residents in her apartment building mysteriously start facing death, Minerva Keen creates a detective club with her brother Heck and the school’s largest kid, Santos, to figure out who is trying to kill everyone … and why?

As they search for clues, they join forces with Detective Wesley Taylor to figure out the deadly situation.

Patterson and Graff develop a fun and twisty plot filled with not only mystery but humor. They create delightfully plucky and intriguing characters. Readers of all ages will truly love “Minerva Keen’s Detective Club,” which is due out May 1.

One word of caution for parents: there is one incident of a couple of very mild curse words used.

Fans of Patterson’s other “Treasure Hunters” series and other similar series will enjoy this book.

Five stars out of five.

jimmy patterson provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

[Lirena E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winning this ARC in a Goodreads Giveaway was definitely a good idea to be enticed to read this book. Thank you Little, Brown for sending me it.

Even though, I am way above the age range to be reading this. I enjoyed it a lot and some things were childish, which makes sense, I would definitely recommend this book to someone who is around 10-12 years old. Knowing that they will have a lot of fun with it.

I didn't expect the ending of this book at all and that was fantastic! I loved not knowing what would happen until much later in the book. It was a quick read and enjoyable, my four out of five stars is purely because I am definitely not the target audience and some of the jokes felt too childish. Other than that, I enjoyed Minerva's character as well as how Silent Santos developed later on in the story.

[Lex Smi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a boon about a girl who lives in an apartment building. Suddenly her friend faints. More people die and mysteriously go into comas and alongside detective Taylor, she is determined to find out the cause. Their landlady type woman called Dolores thinks that the girl is the murderer as she appears at every crime scene. She recruits her brother Heck and friend Santos to her detective club. Eventually they get a lead at the penthouse and go to explore. They find deadly spiders and snakes in the closets. But suddenly the shelf tips over and spiders and snakes come after them. They manage to escape and just as they find out that the spiders had been causing the trouble, detective Taylor informs them it’s spider venom. The apartment gets de spidered. Her friend and cousin manage to survive with anti spider injection stuff. It’s a very good book.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I have never read an adult book written by James Patterson, I have read many of his written for younger readers and continue to recommend them to students. This new series is wonderful. Minerva Keen becomes interested in being a detective when an elderly friend of hers is mysteriously poisoned. Along with her brother Heck (short for Hector) and an unlikely new friend from school her detective club is born. All of these kids use the special gifts they have to work together and solve the mystery. One thing I especially like about this book is Minerva's Case File pages because they are great mentor texts to students looking to summarize information about characters. I will definitely be reading more of this series when it comes out.

[T.A. Beasley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minerva Keen’s Detective Club is a middle grade mystery about residents being poisoned and a young girl trying to find out why.

Minerva starts her detective club to find out why the residents in her apartment complex are being poisoned. She enlists the help of fellow student, Santos and her brother Kermit. She is very smart and tries to help Detective Taylor solve what’s happening. Minerva is shocked when she is a suspect, which makes her more determined to get to the bottom of everything. The closer she gets to answers, the dangerous it gets and even more so when her cousin Bizzy is poisoned.

The characters had different quirks that affecting them investigating, which I liked. Santos especially with his fainting at the wrong times. It wasn’t easy to figure out who was behind everything. It was a shock once the culprit is revealed. I hope there will be more of Minerva’s Detective Club.

[Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 10 year old reader and I were excited to check out this new mystery release :)

As a mom, I love a strong, confident, smart female lead character, and the focus on kids with different talents was a plus. Minerva’s parents and guardians left her a little too loose-reined for my liking, but I don’t think my mini readers put that together :) I liked the age-appropriate crime analysis - nothing too over the top or scary, and I definitely did get some “Only Murders in the Building” vibes for sure.

E’s commentary? “This might not be great for younger kids, or kids who get creeped out at nighttime to read before bed, but I thought it was cool.” She also liked the short chapters and the way each one ended that had her questioning what would come next and begging for, “One more chapter?”

[Dolores · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Twelve-year-old Minerva Keen doesn't have any friends--which her mother thinks is due to her outsized intelligence. Well, she doesn't have any friends her own age, that is. In her building there is her chess buddy, an older man named Kermit. Then Kermit collapses in the middle of a chess game, and the suspected cause is poison. Kermit is in the hospital fighting for his life, but other residents of Minerva's building are not so lucky. As the body count rises, Minerva begins investigating with her younger brother and a classmate. The story is brisk and full of fun and humor--sure to be a hit with the middle grade crew. As a mystery, I'm going to ding it a bit. There was no way to solve this one, because we never got any of the clues to do so. Still, a worthwhile read.

[Ashley Townsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall very good book. Would recommend for any beginner mystery reader.

This was a book I pre read before letting my kids read it.

Age level 8-12 depending on reading level, I would say 3-5th grade level maybe.

🤔 I do believe my only con to this book is the parents. Or lack there of. The parents are abroad in Australia and leave their middle school aged children with their cousin who is in college….. and when they are told of the things going on at the apartment complex they are not very worried about it.
- With that said I am sure my kids will still enjoy this book and honestly it probably wont even phase them, but that is my 2 sense on that topic.

Pros:

Quick read
Funny characters
Interesting/page turner

** I will follow up with my own children’s thoughts of this book.