I had a really fun time with this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I didn’t see the twists coming! This would be a great fantasy, murder mystery story for middle school kids. I really loved the elements of magic and mystery meshed together.

I would love to read more of Lila and Netta’s adventures! I thought they were great main characters.

I’d recommend this to anyone interested in fantasy and/or murder mysteries!

Thank you to Walden Pond Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately, I did not finish this book. It had an interesting premise and I know that it would definitely be a fun read for some people, but it just did not hook me. I felt like there was nothing to grab onto, in the characters or the story. It all felt a bit superficial. That being said I realize that this is probably a reader error and this book just wasn't for me, and that's fine!

I received this arc from NetGalley and Walden Pond Press in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun fantasy/mystery middle grade following The Lilac, a fearsome bounty hunter. At least that's who she wants to be. First she has to get people to hire her. Since she's just a kid, that's proving to be more difficult than she thought it would be. With the help of her friend Netta the would be barb, anything is possible.
Being a kid isn't her only obstacle, her true identity must remain a secret.

No One Leaves the Castle by Christopher Healy was such a fun middle grade fantasy read. This would make an enjoyable family or class read aloud–it’s magical, humorous and mysterious all at once. The story is a magical locked-room mystery that gave me similar vibes to Winterhouse and Monty Python combined. The kids are strong and taking care of business when the adults can’t seem to keep it together. It’s just delightful.

Thank you to @harperkids and @netgalley for the eARC. This publishes Aug 15 and would be a great addition to a family or classroom library.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed and the story was engaging. I recommend that others try this book as well. Well done!

No One Leaves the Castle was such a fun read. It had a great cast of characters and a witty narrator. This book very much gave me a "Clue" vibe. While it involves theft and murder, this story is silly and kid-friendly. I would definitely recommend for younger readers who like mysteries.

Side note: I did not realize that this book takes place in the same world as the author's Hero's Guide series. May need to check those out.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy for review.

What a delight! This book had me laughing through my worries and worrying through my laughing, a perfect mystery romp. I'm always looking for good "detective" mysteries for this age group, and this one takes the cake. A locked room mystery with a goofy cast of characters and heart at the center. Recommended for mystery lovers of all ages.

No One Reads the Castle is quite an adventure! I found it to be a highly engaging middle grade novel that would make a great addition to a classroom library. It was fun, funny, and full of life. Our protagonist, the Lilac embodies a strong and confident heroine, not only capable, but willing to learn and grow from her mistakes. Her goal is to become the best bounty hunter in the world, and by taking on a case at Baron Angbar’s castle, she gets one step closer to her goal. Of course, nothing goes as expected, and the twists and turns keep readers on the edge! No One Leaves the Castle takes many classic fantasy tropes and cliches and formats them into something fresh and new, perfect for a middle grade reader.

This was a cute mystery story with a great group of characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book feels like Clue with a mystical twist. Someone has stolen a sacred ax. So, a bounty hunter must be found to help bring it back to its rightful place. Hence the Lilac and her intrepid bard are brought back to the castle to find the wizard who allegedly stole this ax. Yet nothing is as it seems like the ax has somehow returned home. Yet shortly after being found it disappears again. The Lilac is asked once again to figure out what has happened. Bad turns to worse when a body is found in the castle and a spell has been cast that won’t allow anyone to leave. Can The Lilac figure out who stole the ax and committed murder before it is too late?
This book is filled with lots of twists and turns. Kids will have fun trying to figure out who truly committed the crimes and murders.
Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children’s Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I am not the target audience for this book, I'll try to rate it based on the enjoyment I imagine I would've had at 8-12 years old. This story is exactly the kind of ridiculous nonsense that I hope for in middle grade reads. There's magic, deception, suspense and cream puffs. There are twists my adult brain would never predict, but that are exactly the type of thing a child might expect in a story (or at least be amused by). If you have a school aged child who loves castles and wizards, I highly recommend reading this with them or picking it up for them to read. It is a murder mystery, so it's worth noting that there is discussion of killing someone.

An eBook was provided to me, in exchange I was asked to write an honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

No One Leave the Castle is a fun whodunnit that will leave you guessing. The perpetrator is not obvious and there are some red herrings thrown in. The mystery is twofold, I wont get into specifics but the mystery evolves into more than it originally was as the story progresses. The characters are the highlight of this novel, they are a wonder to follow. There is some magic in the book but it is not used excessively. The overall contents of the book are appropriate for all ages. I know that might turn some away thinking of it as a "kids book" but it is more than that. The story and characters are enjoyable by all.

I do not like giving numbered or star ratings to books as there is so much more that goes into judging a book. In this case I gave it 4 starts because it was very enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a light, fun whodunnit type of story. Give it a chance.
Edit Review

Mind blowingly good! The Lilac-ooh, sends shivers down your spine, doesn't it? Well, it should since she is the most fearsome bounty hunter in the world...or will be as soon as she and her best friend (and bard), Dulcinetta actually bounty someone. Enter monster hunter extraordinaire, Baron Angbar and his missing, maybe magical, but at the very least family heirloom, emerald axe, which his butler is ordered to hire The Lilac to bring it back to Castle Angbar. (Whew-now THAT was a run-on sentence, spoiler alert; it won't be the last!) You must forgive me, dear reader, this book is so awesome that I cannot sum it up any other way. 

Now, back to the plot-butler finds The Lilac, search for axe begins, search leads our intrepid group back to Castle Angbar where, of course, everyone is mysteriously, and most definitely, magically sealed inside the Castle with the murderer, and The Lilac must become the bounty hunter she is destined to be and solve it before they all get very, very dead. Lots of hilarity, skulduggery, magic things magically happening, secrets revealed, plots twisted and epic songs written and loudly sung as the plot thickens (or the thick plottens-I've heard it both ways).

This was such a good book. The publisher calls it "fantasy-mystery" and it is just that, a very well done mix of fantasy and mystery for middle grades that is readable for anyone. As you can see, I enjoyed it very much and award 4 big fat stars and add it to the list of books you 'otter' be reading. I was given a copy for my review.

This is a fun novel with great unique characters for fans of the classical Clue, but in a fantasy setting with fantasy characters (including magic).

It's written with evocative images as if we are watching a cartoon.

Not only do we follow Lilac to solve the mystery of who stole the heirloom we also continue reading to discover who Lilac really is.

Starts with a quest and journey for a bounty hunter, but then becomes a Clue/dinner/solving mystery in a castle, this takes a bit to set up. The dialogue is funny.
The characters are very compelling though, I like books with a large cast and we get excited every time Netta the Bard sings.

So much fun! This book will be really enjoyable for fans of magic, whodunnits, <i>Clue</i>, and <i>Knives Out</i>. The narrator's voice is super funny, which adds a lot of character to the book as a whole. It is a page-turner, with enough twists and turns to keep things interesting, and every character is entertaining. I really enjoyed this one!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this eARC!

This was an incredibly fun story and one I hope gets a sequel. Nitta and Lilac deserve far more adventures.

A Dungeons and Dragons quest gone hilariously wrong. Perfect for any young fantasy reader, this goofy tale of mischief and magic is a great back-to-school read for fans of "The Mysterious Benedict Society" and "The Sisters Grimm."

Reminiscent of the game Clue. This book involves some magic, a bounty hunter, a bard, fantasy, and a whole cast of interesting characters. Avery cute and deliberately silly mystery for children. Naturally easy to read and ridiculously ridiculous at times, but fully enjoyable and will no doubt be a hit for its audience.

I love this author and all of his hero’s guides! This book was just a lot harder for me to get into. I took it at a slower pace and didn’t get to finish it! From what I did read it was amusing and a new untold story. Hope to see more hero’s guides!

A magician must be found to save the kingdom. Can the heroness find him in time? And will he be the answer they are seeking?

When bounty hunter The Lilac and her friend Netta the bard find themselves on a quest for a mysterious wizard, little did they know that tracking the wizard was going to be the least of their worries. As events unfold, the teenage girls find themselves trapped in a castle investigating a murder while trying to keep secrets from their hosts, the ancient monster-hunting Angbar family. Will The Lilac and Netta escape with their lives? Find out in the latest offering from renowned author Christopher Healy.