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.