What a fun story!

It was fun change putting myself in the place of a preteen reading this mystery story centered in Paris. I’m not terribly familiar with the genre nowadays but I loved the title of the book which was enough to reel me in. The themes were very relatable and appropriate (ex. Evolving interests as you grow up, fearing parental disappointment, language barriers with family members) which seemed age appropriate.

The mystery was very fun to follow, and I loved reading about the girls exploring Paris. As someone who’s been lucky enough to visit there were quite a few places I’ve never heard of or been to which just adds to the interest. I also love a good code cracking challenge and it would be cool to add a little compendium at the end of the book so kids could easily make their own codes. Obsessed with the mystery’s resolution, so sweet.

I would recommend this book for an appropriate audience and would love to read more about Bea’s adventures with her French family. Plus more Lucas and Céline who ended up being favorites of mine!

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Delightful story about a spunky girl detective. Great storyline and characters. It is a perfect length making it easy to recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | for this ARC.

This was such a cute middle grade mystery. I really liked all of the characters and the way that Bea made her way through the mystery. I liked seeing her struggle with life events as well as the mystery and liked seeing her become close with her cousin. The setting was really cool and it was fun to explore Paris with Bea. If you like puzzle mysteries, then this book is for you.

I really enjoyed this middle grade mystery. It was full of family, friends, mystery, and finding yourself. Changing something you've done many times and has become ingrained in who she thinks of herself can be a scary thing. I think this book does a good job of showing how big a deal it can be and how it can look going through the motions of changing something about yourself and going in a new direction. It was really sweet and I loved all the characters, and I didnt find the mystery challenging, but I did find it fun.

A strong title and the depiction of two young girls attired in distinctive attire influenced by their respective cultures, French and American had me choosing this book. Toss in a mystery puzzling loving girl with hints of Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown and it seems like an interesting read especially since the book incorporates puzzles that even the reader can participate in anagrams and clues tossed in as to historical figures. What made this book a bit different was the uneasy friendship between the two cousins given the estrangement of their respective parents.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers , via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.