Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel

Gr 3-7–Bayron’s latest is the first of a cozy mystery series set around aspiring detective Olive Oakes and her sidekick cousin Eli. ­Olive is a modern-day Nancy Drew and looks for mysteries to solve everywhere. When ­Olive’s parents need to appraise a “haunted” house in the town of Whispering Woods, the cousins tag along. They quickly discover some strange happenings around town and at the traveling carnival that ­visits every year. Rumors abound about ghosts and missing children, and every townsperson seems to be hiding a secret. Olive can hardly contain herself at finally getting a chance to solve a real mystery—but when danger seems to lurk at every corner, is the risk worth the reward? Bayron is great at creating suspenseful moments and an expert at keeping readers turning the page. This novel is packed with characters who drive up the suspense with their banter and odd behavior. The dialogue between the ­cousins is especially witty and fast-paced. Eli is a very well developed and entertaining character; a math genius who has lost both parents, he is the perfect ­Watson to ­Olive’s Sherlock. No indication of race for any characters is present in the writing, but the cover art shows that Olive and Eli are Black.