Review: The Moonlight Mystery Agency: The Birthday Cake Thief

The Moonlight Mystery Agency: The Birthday Cake Thief is the first adventure in a brilliant new series for younger readers.

Hana has always wanted a pet but she gets a little brother instead – a little brother who is allergic to fur. When Arlo takes Hana’s teddy cat, Tibby, she gets cross with him and upsets her little brother. Storming off to her bedroom, Hana calms down by lying on her bed and drawing pictures of the farm she dreams of living on one day.

At midnight, Hana is woken by the sound of tapping at the window and opens it to find a black cat waiting to be let in, a cat with a strange key around its neck – a key which fits the bedstead which belonged to her Great-Grandpa, Monty. But this is no ordinary cat … Ace is a detective cat and a member of the Moonlight Mystery Agency and he invites her to join the Agency.

And so begins the most magical adventure as Hana finds her bed turning into a hot air balloon which takes her to Moonlight where she meets Spark, a bionic unicorn with a rainbow mane who needs her help to find the culprit who has stolen her birthday cake. Can Hana solve her first case before Spark’s birthday party turns in to a disaster? Will she learn a lesson about the importance of kindness and friendship?

I absolutely adored this gorgeous mystery which has all the hallmarks of the author’s fantastic books for middle-grade readers: STEM references, encouraging empathy, magical world-building, steampunk, discovering new places and heart-warming messages of friendship, family bonds and kindness. I have no doubt many young readers will be secretly wishing for an invitation to join the Moonlight Mystery Agency!

The full-colour illustrations throughout complement the story perfectly: magical, vibrant and so wonderfully expressive and full of warmth.

What a fantastic start to a wonderful new mystery series for younger readers of 5+ who I have no doubt will be eager to return to Moonlight again and again.

This book is published by the wonderful Barrington Stoke who publish dyslexia-friendly, super-readable and accessible books for children of all ages.  This one is from the Little Gems series of fully-illustrated first chapter books for ages 5-8.

Thank you to Barrington Stoke for sending me a copy of The Moonlight Mystery Agency in exchange for my honest opinion.