The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

The Sherlock Society kicks off a fun mystery series by popular MG author James Ponti.

The Sherlock Society (#1) by James Ponti. Aladdin (Simon & Schuster), 2024, 336 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-15

With a surname like Sherlock, it seems inevitable that a pair of siblings would found a detective agency. But inevitable only in retrospect, after Alex and Zoe Sherlock (ages 12 and 13) have leapt from a burnishing yacht with their grandfather to be plucked out of Biscayne Bay by the Authorities. The Sherlock Society began as a casual label for Alex and his best friend Yadi, with the addition of Lina the Florida transplant from Montana. Zoe has her own crowd, but when the parents refuse to let her tag along with them to a posh summer camp in Maine, she rebrands the Society as a detective agency in hopes of earning a little extra cash.

Fortunately (or not), the kids have a chief advisor and transport chief in the form of Alex and Zoe’s maternal grandfather, a retired newspaper reporter with a classic Cadillac convertible named Ramona. Grandpa never fully retired (or grew up, according to Mom). When the Society’s first venture into detective work leads nowhere, he drops a hint about a treasure buried by Al Capone, who retired to Miami after Alcatraz. That’s all it takes for the game to be afoot, but preliminary investigations lead to a fresher case when the Society discovers that someone has been dumping industrial waste and killing wildlife in the Everglades. It’s a case closer to home and near to their environmentalist hearts—who’s the culprit?

The storyline follows the standard mystery plot points of scattered clues, strategy sessions and recaps, and dangerous climax. Readers will meanwhile learn a lot about Miami (a sunny place with shady people), marine life, and local lore. Frequent flashes of humor (Grandpa is quite a character) set this series apart, as well as interesting family dynamics.

I especially like the parents—loving, helpful, and hands-off as far as the mystery goes, but also parents. When Zoe, complains to her dad about her foiled summer-camp plans, he lays out the facts. “We didn’t want you falling deeper under the spell of Brooke and Chelsea. If you were around them twenty-four hours a day for seven weeks, who knows what you’d turn into?” To her protest, he offers a sea-life metaphor to think about. Middle grade readers may find themselves thinking about it too, even as they compulsively turn pages.

Bottom Line: A fun, classic mystery with engaging characters and strong family relationships.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: See our favorable review of the author’s previous series, City Spies.
• Resource: Sign up for our extensive (and free) Mystery Book List.  

We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program; purchases you make through affiliate links like the one below may earn us a commission. Read more here.

Order The Sherlock Society from Amazon.