Violet and the Pearl of the Orient by Harriet Whitehorn

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

My thanks go to Simon and Schuster for providing me with this copy.

Pages: 208
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Released: 28th of April 2014

When a new family move in next door, Violet is sure there's something strange about them. Then her eccentric, but lovely neighbour, Dee Dee Derota, has a precious jewel stolen. Could the new family be to blame? Violet is on the case to uncover the truth…

What I Have to Say

I think middle grade girl detective is my new favourite genre. I love Violet almost as much as I loved Daisy from Murder Most Unladylike. They both have the same need to stick their nose into everything,  the same determination and the same inability to quit no matter how much trouble they get into. 

Obviously this book is a lot younger than the stuff I normally read as even when I read middle grade I tend to read the older books that take me more than a couple of hours. But for the reasons above, when I was offered this book, I couldn't say no. 

I really really enjoyed reading it. It took me back to my childhood when a lot of the stuff I read was let's just say not on the serious side of things (for comedies sake of course). I loved the characters in their absurdity and the story itself. And the illustrations by Becka Moor just added so much to it and made it beautiful.