Middle schooler Pepper Blouse’s interest in detective work stems from her mother, a police officer who died five years ago and left her a Detective Rulebook. When Pepper’s Great Aunt Florence dies suddenly, she and her dad (both presumed White) travel to her mansion (isn’t there always a mansion?) to settle the estate, and Pepper becomes suspicious of another aunt and cousin. No one else thinks there’s anything of concern, but she and her new friend Jacob decide to investigate—but they are unprepared for the family secrets they uncover. Some quirky secondary characters add texture to the tale.
Aside from the case, Jacob, a White transgender boy, is worried that his pending new sibling is his parents’ attempt to replace him with the girl they wanted. Pepper herself is pondering her crush on another girl and how her dad would respond to the news that she is dating. It’s unclear how she would identify herself; I’m therefore tagging the book as both “Lesbian/queer girl” and “Bisexual/pansexual girl.”
A fast-paced and fun read for mystery fans, with satisfying twists.
