Cover Image: The Hayley Mysteries: The Haunted Studio

The Hayley Mysteries: The Haunted Studio

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Member Reviews

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an early readers’ copy.

“We are in Hollywood, Hayley. It’s a magical place that’s full of history, but there’s a lot of suspicious stuff that goes on. Maybe you’ll be the shows eyes and ears?” Right away I thought this book was going to have a lot of potential because it was described as a Nancy Drew type mystery and I loved the series growing up. The cover art was cute and well picked for the middle grade book to catch attention. Throughout it are pictures that help break up the chapters for the young reader to keep them entertained and each chapter is kept relatively short. In total the book is about 200 pages long, which is the perfect length for readers 8 and up. The author included some bits and pieces of Los Angeles history that was a fun add in. Unfortunately I think the characters could have been better written. They didn’t show any depth and were one sided otherwise I think the entire idea for the series was a fun unique idea for children to pick up.

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Fun, mysterious, when these friends hit the set the mysteries are afloat and now a real life mystery to solve, is it a real ghost? I love how they all work together to solve the mysteries.

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Three tweens filming a kid's tv detective show find a mystery on the set for their second season. Will a ghost scare everyone away? Will "accidents" injure the lead actors? Will delays and cost overruns cancel the show?

Hayley, the star of Sadie Solves It, and her co-stars (and best friends) Aubrey and Cody have a giant task ahead.

Everything depends on solving this mystery and saving the show--before the old Hollywood studio comes crashing down around them!

This is a fun behind-the scenes view of 12 and 13 year old kids filming a tv series (not too bogged down in minutiae), plus lively sifting through suspects to find the most suspicious subjects. (A chapter book and quick read!)

Recommended for any reading age that can understand the subject, and I hope Miss LeBlanc writes many more for the series!

4/5 Stars Nearly 5.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this free and fun preview ebook! The review is voluntary.

Notes:
More details like the water tower that make the places and people more real to us. People's imperfections, incidental sounds--just occasional touches. Try to include more senses than just visual. More happening, less telling us what is happening.

(When Aubrey was making cookies, the scene was a disaster, but the description was scattered and confusing. I've made hundreds of cookies and never had flour spilled on me anywhere; it's very difficult to get it in ones hair. Virtually impossible to get it on the ceiling without special talent. No rolling pin needed for oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies, and a typo says some are "cooking" on a rack in the corner.)

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Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this e-arc but this book is not available in kindle form so unfortunately I am not able to review it . Therefore I am leaving a neutral rating.

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