Jenny Nimmo, Author of Midnight for Charlie Bone
I loved the opening chapters of The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Morrow, and was immediately captivated by the characters. The writing is great and very accessible. I'm sure children and young adults will love it.
Gina Shaw, Editorial Director, Original Book Publishing for Scholastic Book Clubs
I absolutely love this book! The writing is terrific; the pacing is perfect; the characters are well-conceived and fleshed out; and all I want to do is keep reading!
Kristen Yoder, Elementary School Teacher, Indiana, USA
I LOVED this book! The characters are all complimentary and endearing. The writing keeps you in suspense and wondering what is going to happen. Just like in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter Series... it all made sense and was revealed in the end... which is what makes her books, and this book enticing. The wording and figurative language used is FANTASTIC! The well-placed, enriching words will help to develop young readers’ vocabulary. There are so many great teaching points regarding word choice, figurative language, and voice in this book. I want to be a part of the DMS... I want to solve a riddle... and I want to explore the many enchantments of the Begonia house!
Detra Fitch, HUNTRESS REVIEWS
4 STARS! If you are looking for a normal, mundane, every day type of who-dunnit, then you are in the wrong place. Authors Haight and Robinson have shrewdly written a mystery guaranteed to entice its young readers. The character of Fairday is friendly, curious, eager to learn, and audacious. The way she thinks and reacts to the people and events around her make Fairday a terrific role model for today's kids. Littered throughout the book are several illustrations to help readers envision Fairday's surroundings more easily. Each chapter has a title, hinting at things to come. As the reader, I found my attention hooked immediately. I am always impressed by a story that grabs me quickly. The plot moves along at a good pace. Clues and spooky events slowly build up suspense. Eventually the paranormal enters the story, making it even more irresistible. Move over Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys! The Detective Mystery Squad is stepping into the spotlight. Fantastic!
Susan Milby, Loves 2 Read, Book Blog Reviewer
I fell in love with the characters in this book from page one. Fairday and her family are unique, entertaining, and completely believable. I enjoyed getting to know Fairday, her family, Lizzy and the kids in Fairday's new school. The mystery and suspense is perfect for young readers (and even older ones like me). The writing flows and I never had to re-read or pause to figure out what was going on. I love that the story is easy to read and understand and yet written in such a way that kids ages 10 through teen will enjoy the story, the characters and the adventure. I am anxious to see what happens next! The story ends perfectly with a mystery solved, yet with more adventure and mystery yet to come! Excellent job! A definite 4.5 stars from this book lover!
Mary Reilly, A Book A Day, Book Blog Reviewer
Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow has low expectations when her parents decide to move from Manhattan to Ashpot, Connecticut--all because her mom feels that renovating a nasty old house will boost her design career. For a budding detective, however, the old Begonia House proves to be a gold mine. Fairday immediately finds herself immersed in the old mysteries of the home. With her sidekick, best friend, and fellow DMS (Detective Mystery Squad) member, Lizzy, plus new recruit Marcus, Fairday sets out to discover the secrets of the padlocked room on the third floor and what it might have to do with the possible murder of the previous owner and the disappearance of his daughter on her wedding day--twenty years before that! Young readers will devour this book, which has all the ingredients insatiable bibliovores seek out: a creepy old house, mysterious rooms and sinister furniture, ancient secrets, scary portraits with moving eyes, magic, curses, clues, intrepid characters, silly parents, and much more! The fast pace and action keep the pages flying, and there are plenty of thrills along the way. Highly recommended for those who dare--ages 8 & up.
