Well, this was a fantastic mystery! Wes, Margot and Josie are still besties and part of the Copseys!

Living in such close proximity to each other, they know everyone and everything that happens on their close, including when a death occurs.

Rachel, their neighbour, is thrown a surprise 40th birthday party but when Wes goes in to help her the next day, he finds her dead and immediately everyone at the party becomes a suspect. What was the cause of death and who would do such a horrible thing?

When the party guests are called back together to hear the news, Whisper, the older man, suggests that they hold a Nine Night. A celebration of the life of the deceased and a pathway for them to formally depart this world.

Over the course of the nine nights, the Copseys hunt for clues, investigate the scene and interrogate the party goers. As each night passes, new information is brought to light and suspects are crossed off the list.

I think this was a superb story, one that certainly had me guessing where the plot would take me next. I loved being back with Wes, Margot and Josie- their friendship is remarkable and honest, each accepting the others for who they are. Cleverly written and plotted, this is one of my top picks this year.

I had heard good things about Sharna Jackson's books, so when this became available on Net Galley I was keen to read it before getting a copy for my class.

The story starts with a murder. Wes goes to visit his neighbour Rachel, who him and his friends had thrown a surprise party for the night before, and finds her dead in her bed. Together with his friends Josie and Margot, he is determined to find out who killed her. Rachel's friends throw a traditional Caribbean Nine Night celebration to help guide her soul to the next world, which gives the three friends plenty of opportunities to check out the suspects...

I really enjoyed this mystery and will definitely be getting a copy for my class. The three teenage characters are well-written and reflect today's teenagers. There are twists and turns galore and the addition of the Caribbean tradition adds an extra layer to the story.

The appetite for middle grade crime fiction is still strong in my library and Jackson's modern take on a murder mystery story appeals to everyone. I really enjoyed the friendships between characters in this story and the mystery was well plotted and just the right amount of twisty!

A cracking read. Filled with twists, turns and numerous possibilities which kept me hooked until the end. I loved the relationship between the characters which felt very realistic. I can't wait to recommend this to our UKS2 children.

Definite buy for the library. Mystery hooks the reader quickly. More tween/middle grade murder mysteries like this one please :)

Keywords: Mystery, Adventure, Murder mystery, Family, Caribbean celebrations, Birthday, Puzzle, Exciting

Read before recommending to my year 5/6 class. Another brilliant mystery from Sharna Jackson. Wesley and his friends throw a party for Rachel and the next morning Rachel is dead. What follows is an investigation into who Rachel really was and what led to her death. It’s a pacy story, easy to follow and characters that are likeable and relatable. Any fan of Sharna Jackson’s previous books would love this one.

Fast-paced fun with the Copsey gang. Filled with twists and turns this mystery kept me guessing till the very end. I loved the authentic children’s voices and viewpoint and the way the book didn’t shy away from topics and issues that children are likely to come across. Perfectly pitched for the middle grade age group this is a sure-fire win for young mystery fans.

THE NINE NIGHT MYSTERY is a tale of three kids determined to get to the bottom of the mystery on their street - and find it tangles far more with their lives than they thought.

This book starts you off thinking the mystery will be one thing, but then it becomes something else. I really enjoyed that. Everyone is so shifty, and Rachel is an unknowable quantity, telling everyone something different. She's clearly hiding something, as are her friends, and it means you want to know the answers even when the central assumption falls through.

The mystery gets very personal for Wesley, tangling this near stranger (his mum's friend) in his family's personal affairs. It's a story of family breakups and what that can mean for people down the line. It's about tension with your parents and the conflicting emotions of anger and guilt and wanting it to be alright again when you fight.

While it is not obviously shown in the marketing, this book is part of a series with THE GOOD TURN. The narrator is different in this book, Wesley instead of Josephine. There aren't really any references to the mystery in THE GOOD TURN, so you could read them in either order and it wouldn't matter much, which is a fun way to do a series.

Three preteen friends investigate the mysterious death of a family friend.

I thought this started strong but then got slow pretty quickly. I think the writing was just slow from Wes’s point of view.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this twisty-turny-kept me guessing mystery! It’s so lovely being back with the Copley gang, and in a whole new story! A mysterious death, a woman who has many secrets and a whole host of clues, red herrings and wrong turns! What’s not to love?

The plot pivots away from the initial premise which, although I was disappointed at first, made for a more poignant and fulfilling story.

There are lots of big topics and emotional problems for the eleven-year old protagonists to deal with. The major themes are very grown-up at times but are handled well at a middle grade level.

The voice was brilliant - Westley is an honest, funny and wise kid and it was great to solve the mystery alongside him. His friendship group is really well written, as are the character arcs of the adult characters.

The story has moments of sadness and deals with death, illness and cheating, just as a TW for readers.

This is the second book in the ‘Copseys’ series by Sharna Jackson and follows Wesley, Margot and Josie who together form the Copseys, a modern-day Secret Seven, intent on solving mysteries and having adventures.
The Copseys have organised a surprise 40th party for Wesley’s mum’s friend and neighbour Rachel Kohl and invite the few facebook friends of hers they can find. When Rachel turns up dead the morning after the party, the Copseys decide it’s time to investigate. Rachel’s friend Whisper is hosting a Nine Night celebration for all those who attended the party, in order to put Rachel’s spirit to rest, but with a cast of suspects and only nine days, will the Copseys be able to solve the mystery surrounding Rachel, and put her spirit to rest?
Brilliantly written, with each character being individual and believable, it is a must read for fans of ‘Murder most unladylike’. Written from Wesley’s viewpoint, the writing has a huge sense of immediacy and throws you forward into the action. You feel like you’re living the investigation alongside them and want to see what happens next! I found it especially amusing to see things from an eleven-year-olds perspective; to the Copseys, Rachel, Wes’ mum and her other 40 something friends are ‘old’. Even though I’m slightly younger than 40, I was a child of the 90s and it’s funny to remember that for children today, that is the ancient past! The author got this perspective spot on.
I also really loved how the author does not shy away from important issues and topics through the book (I won’t give any spoilers). She covers a lot of ‘grown-up’ modern day issues which do have an impact on young people, whether we realise it or not. The writing was very poignant at times and by covering these difficult topics, young readers who are going through similar situations will especially feel empathy and solidarity with the characters.
A great read and I will be going back to read the first book!

Can you tell my 11 year old daughter loves a good mystery?! She seems to devour them and this one was no exception.

The premise:
Last night Wesley and his friends Josephine and Margot threw their neighbour Rachel a surprise birthday party. This morning, Rachel is dead. And Wesley is the one who finds her body.

Ella’s review:
I loved the way there were lots of plot twists like in any good mystery novel. I liked to see Wesley being best friends with two girls (Josephine and Margot). Some of the characters were very funny and made the reading very entertaining. There are plenty of secrets to keep you guessing and it’s similar to the Ministry of Unladylike Activity by Robin Stevens in that the adults don’t listen!!

Pick this up if you love mystery, a good laugh and friendship.

Thank you to @netgalley and @puffinbooksuk for the ARC in return for our honest review. The Nine Night Mystery Is out now!

A brilliant book. That opening chapter! The VOICE. The dialogue. The twists. Love it so much. Another cracking mystery from Sharna Jackson.

My ten year old daughter loved this book. It is the perfect murder mystery for her age group. She is really fascinated by this genre of books but some she has tried ending up terrifying her! This is pitched perfectly for this age group.. Fast paced, loads of twists, brilliantly written, she devoured this one and is already looking forward to more from this author.
She has been recommending this book far and wide and is looking forward to buying a paperback copy.

A huge 5 stars from her.

This was such a good mystery to follow, there were twists and turns, red herrings which kept me reading!

This is a great murder mystery for those not ready for an adult whodunit. It has all the suspense and drama without the gore! There are twists and turns and I thought I had it sussed, but I couldn't have been more wrong! I got a bit muddled but at the end, someone summarises it and it all made sense!

When Wes and his friends Margot and Josie help his mum to throw a surprise party for their neighbour, Rachel, the last thing they expect is to stumble on a dead body the next morning. But what killed Rachel: was it the essential oils that her masseuse Lauren gifted her, the herbal tea that a friend from her IBS support group brought along to the party, or was it the special potato skins that Wes's mum, Ella, made for her... and wouldn't let anyone else eat?

Wes, Margot and Josie team up to investigate and find out exactly what happened to Rachel, while the friends who attended her party observe the 'Nine Nights' - a traditional Caribbean mourning ritual.

The Nine Night Mystery is the perfect read for middle grade lovers of crime and mystery fiction, it will appeal to lovers of Robin Stevens and those who like their middle grade fiction with an authentic teen/tween voice.

Great mystery with some brilliant characters made this an excellent read, not just for middle-grade readers!

After a neighbour dies unexpectedly following her surprise fortieth birthday party they helped organize, tween-age Wes and his besties find themselves caught up in not only the traditional Caribbean nine nights celebration, but also a murder investigation. And when Wes's mum seems to be the prime suspect (along with her dodgy vegan-cheese potato skins), he'll stop at nothing to find the real culprit.

A pacy, dialogue-driven mystery, full of brilliantly set=up twists, edgy humour and heart, this is a perfect independent read for older middle-grade kids.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgally for an advanced e-copy of this title.