About the Book
Author: Kay DiBianca
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Release Date: September, 2025
When spunky ten-year-old Reen and her shy nine-year-old cousin Joanie visit Reen’s Great-aunt Miriam Ritchie in Manhattan, they land right in the middle of a new mystery. Following a clue Reen discovered on the airplane enroute to New York, Reen and Joanie track the Central Park Jewel Thieves through some of New York’s most famous landmarks. They even manage to keep the ever-vigilant Mrs. Toussaint in the dark about their investigation.
But the thieves are smart and communicate only in code. Can Reen and Joanie decode the clues and identify the plans for the next robbery? But even if they do, can they convince the police that they’ve solved a mystery that New York’s finest couldn’t crack? Everything seems to be going wrong until a strange turn of events puts the girls right in the middle of the final heist.
Hamsters, a dumbwaiter, and a seven-year-old genius named Miles all contribute to this funny, action-packed romp through the streets and buildings of Manhattan.
Click here to get your copy!
My Review
What a fun mystery for young readers. DiBianca has done a good job creating interesting young amateur sleuths. Reen is an impulsive youngster, ten-year-old going on 25, a precocious kid and smart at figuring out puzzling clues. Younger Joanie is a good sidekick as she is a little more reticent. The detective duo is quick to take in another detective as they embrace Miles visiting his grandmother. Thinking a younger assistant might be trouble, Reen ultimately finds out, “Having a seven-year-old around isn't bad when he's a genius.” (901/1640)
This entertaining novel has good dialogue and fun characters, both old and young. Young readers will learn a few new words and have some chuckles. They will adventure through secret passages and visit famous museums in New York. They will also befriend a sweet hamster who helps Reen and Joanie solve the mystery. There is a subtle Christian influence as moral lessons are learned as well. I seem to have missed reading the first novel in this series but this one reads very well on its own. I look forward to catching the next adventure by Reen and Joanie.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
About the Author
An avid runner, Kay can often be found at a local track, on her treadmill, or at a park near her home. Kay and her husband, Frank, live, run, and write in Memphis, TN.
More from Kay
My third mystery novel, Time After Tyme, featured two young secondary characters, Reen and Joanie, who were so popular, I was encouraged to give them their own series. I had been thinking of doing a middle grade novel for a while, so I began to put together thoughts for a Reen & Joanie Detective Agency series.
At about that same time, my husband and I made several trips to Manhattan for health reasons. (Everything is fine now.) During those trips, we used our spare time to explore the museums and famous places in the city, and that became the setting for Knights in Manhattan.
While writing the book, I had great fun seeing the city through the eyes of the two youngsters as they chased criminals in and around some of New York’s most famous landmarks. This is the second book in the Reen & Joanie Detective Agency series, and I’m excited to see where the girls will travel in the upcoming books.
Blog Stops
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 9
Simple Harvest Reads, October 10 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 11
Artistic Nobody, October 12 (Author Interview)
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 13
Guild Master, October 14 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, October 15
Fiction Book Lover, October 16 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, October 17
Books Less Travelled, October 18 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 19
For the Love of Literature, October 20 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, October 20
Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 21 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, October 22 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, October 22
(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)
7 comments:
Thank you for the review
I liked the review.
What inspired you to blend knights and modern Manhattan in your story?
Thank you for the kind review, Joan. I chose to do the celebratelit blog tour with Knights in Manhattan rather than the first book, Another Side of Sunshine, because of the timing of the releases. (It's the first time two of my books were released in the same calendar year.) The books can be read independently or in series. Thanks again!
Hi Tracie. Knights have played a role in each of the books that Reen & Joanie have appeared in, so it was especially fun to include a trip to the Knight Room in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the story. It's while the girls are at the MMoA that Reen decides a knight should be the symbol of the R&J Detective Agency. Joanie doesn't like that idea. She wants the symbol to be a butterfly. The cover designer and I decided to make the logo of the R&J books a child knight in armor with a butterfly on his shield. You can see the image on my website at kaydibianca.com.
This looks like a enthralling read. Thanks for sharing.
Looks very interesting.
Post a Comment