Mr. REE

by James Lawrence

She Might Be the Mystery He Cannot SolveIt is post-Civil War America. Reggie Poole, a precocious teenage girl, must travel into the war-torn South. She finds violence is commonplace, and Northerners are unwelcome on her journey to find her biological father. He is not any man; he is R. Edwin Easley, the famous British detective known as Mr. REE.When two men are murdered in an antebellum plantation, and Reggie is connected to both crimes, Mr. REE takes on the case with his assistant, Sally-Ann Primrose, who competes for his attention.The more Reggie learns about her father, the more she realizes the enigmatic detective hides dark secrets involving his fragile mental state, a mysterious pocket watch, and a hidden room. If she can help him solve the mystery—and not be killed in the process—she just might win him over.

Paperback

Published April 18, 2022

Reviews

[Roy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t realize this was a children’s book. It would be good for a fifth or sixth grader. I’m sure an eleven year old would like it. However it’s a little too juvenile for my taste. I don’t expect to read the following books. Maybe the author can recommend one of his books of a more mature nature. One an adult might enjoy. What do you think?

[Kristy Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun mystery. Fourteen year old Reggie loses her mother and goes to find the father that doesn't know she exists. Her father is a famous detective named Mr. Ree. On the train to find him Reggie witnesses a murder. There are several suspects. Once she meets her father there are more murders and she and her father work on solving them and discovering the motive. It reminded me of an Agatha Christie book with a fourteen year old added in.

[Nancy Kuykendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and engaging story!

This is my first read by James Lawrence. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters, and his writing. I happy to have found James Lawrence and will be reading the continuation of the Mr. REE story and his other books.
Great read!

[stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this story.

[Diane Henson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Read

I loved this book! It’s a little like Sherlock Holmes meets Scooby Doo. There were multiple good mysteries and the characters were fun!

[Aileen Ruli McCready · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very entertaining book! I wasn’t sure where it was going, but I like where it ended up. I don’t want to say too much, since this is a mystery, but I do think the overall story arch of the main characters was more intriguing than the case they were trying to solve.

There were a few times where the dialogue felt too modern for women of the 19th century, but I suppose that could also be part of the charm of the main character. (She is decidedly outspoken.)

I found myself going back a few times to review the “cast of characters” listed at the beginning of the book to keep track of the suspects. Sometimes it felt a little like the game Clue, or a murder mystery dinner party. It wasn’t scary, but it sure was fun.

One more thing I want to mention is the cover. I love when a book has perfect cover art, and this is one of those books.