I listened to the audio book of this YA novel. I must admit I was disappointed. It took me several tries to get through it. I had high hopes for it based on the description. It sounded like a book I would really enjoy. I probably would have given up on it but it was on my list of books to review for Netgalley so I stuck with it.

I loved the premise. A girl who is sheltered from the “real world” by a mother who pretends to be a psychic. She is tricking her clients into giving up their treasures and other valuables by saying their dearly departed wants this to happen. Little does she know that her daughter actually can talk to the spirits.

Maria just wants a normal life with friends and to go to school. She spends a lot of time hiding out in the library with the friendly librarian. There are a lot of great characters who eventually help Maria and there is eventual justice which makes for a happy ending.

Overall, it wasn’t a horrible book. It just didn’t keep my interest and move along well for me. It does involve spirits/ghosts and talking to the dead so that is something to be aware of.

I thought this was a very fun read and a great way to feature the beatnik artist and their work. I also enjoyed the Matilda-esque style of the main character. Very charming.

The Mysterious Messenger is a great book to teach during a jazz poetry unit. There’s a history lesson built into the story. That fact alone makes it worthy of recommendation. Outside of that, the story is pretty entertaining. It’s urban fantasy set in New York, which has been done a lot and is pretty hard to envision every time. New York has too much going on for any one normal place to stick out, so the setting always comes off as generic, which takes away more than adds anything for me. So, characters are more important because of the let down of setting and lack of world building. Unfortunately, I hate Madame Destine, the protagonist’s mother. She is a despicable person and a terrible example to Maria, the protagonist. Throughout the story, I’m plagued by the very idea of her, which makes it difficult for me to enjoy what i usually would. Still, it would probably work for the age group meant to read it.

I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was an interesting middle grade mystery, though it might not be for everyone as there are some subjects in it that some students might have a difficult time with (both supernatural elements as well as child neglect). Maria is stuck in a neglectful environment with a mother who doesn't take care of her, who uses her for her own gain, and with little hope for improvement in her daily life, including a lack of food security. She spends much of her time at the public library where the librarian senses something isn't right in her life. She makes friends with a ghost named Edward, who helps her to solve a mystery that takes her through a history lesson in the Beat poetry movement and age of Jazz in NYC in order to help a widow, whom her mother wants to take advantage of, find her late husband's treasure. It was an entertaining book with lots of twists and turns, and the addition of literary and cultural references take it beyond just a mysterious ghost story. Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ebook for me to read and review!

Maria Russo lives in an NYC apartment with her con artist mom, Madame Destine Russo, and the parrot Houdini. A client, Mrs. Fisher, arrives at the apartment, in hopes that Madame Destine can contact her dead husband, and the performance begins with Maria and Mr. Fox, Delphine's accomplice, helping with behind the scenes staging and sound effects. In order to assist with the bilking of clients of anything of value , Maria is tasked with regularly visiting the library to search the newspapers obituaries which will give Delphine the details of the deceased and make her rouse believable. However, Ms. Madigan, the Librarian feels something is wrong with Maria's home situation, and she notifies Officer O'Malley. In order to remain out of the legal limelight, Maria is not allowed to speak to other children, and she is homeschooled. However, Sebastian, a neighbor, is as persistent as he is curious and he wants to be friends with Maria. Then there is the presence of Edward, a ghost who communicates with Maria through automatic writing. References to several books such as <i>The Rescuers </i>, <i>The Secret Garden</i>, and <i>Mr. Lemoncello's Library</i> as well as popular authors Louis Sachar, Natalie Lloyd, and Sheila Turnage With a rich background about the Beat poets and the Strand Book Store, jazz musicians and the Vanguard, and expressionist painters of 1950's Greenwich village, this makes an excellent book to study this historical period. The pacing is right, and the mystery reaches its apex without being completely horrifying. Definitely recommended for the season because of Edward, the ghost. Highly recommend!

Maybe I'm just not in the right mindset, but I did not particularly enjoy this read. I've read other reviews that liken it in some ways to Matilda, and I think that's true (horrible family, finds comfort at the library, develops friendships and finds a new family of sorts). It took me a while to get into it, and I kind of had to make myself finish it. I thought the descriptions of the treasure hunt through NYC were interesting, but I don't know if it will hold kids' attention. Maria ended up having to explain a lot at the end, instead of the reader getting it on their own. I also didn't really understand why Sebastian was such a loyal friend when Maria was not really kind to him. I actually liked Sebastian and Mrs. Fisher the most. For kids looking for a mystery, especially with a supernatural twist, this might be a great pick. But I will probably not purchase for my library.

Maria lives with her pseudo-psychic mother, Madame Destine. Madame Destine likes to con widows into giving her their heirlooms. Surprisingly, Maria really can talk to the dead. Her ghost friend, Edward, sends her on a journey to find a mysterious treasure.
Unlike some middle grade mysteries, this book included many unexpected plot twists. I also loved that the author included multiple literary, art, and jazz history references throughout. This is the perfect book for those readers who want an enjoyable ghost story that is not scary.

In the Mysterious Messenger, 11-year-old Maria is not living her best life. She sleeps in a closet and has to help her con artist mother scam people out of their money and possessions. Maria has a secret skill, however. She can communicate with a ghost named Edward through writing. Edward sends Maria on a mission to help one of her mother's victims, Mrs. Fisher, find a fortune that's hiding in her own home, but who exactly is Edward, and why has he chosen to communicate with Maria? Along the way, Maria makes friends for the first time in her life and discovers a whole new world outside of her apartment. #NetGalley

Maria Russo knows the art of the con. She learned from her mother, the great (and phony) Madame Destine. So when Edward, Maria’s secret ghost best friend, encourages her to follow one of Madame Destine’s victims Maria knows she has to listen. The mystery that follows will have kids hooked. This book did a good job of tackling friendship when a person feels isolated. It has an almost Matilda-esque vibe about it. I would recommend it to grades 3 and up.

This is middle grade mystery is about Maria who lives with her mother, who is a psychic. Maria helps her, along with Mr. Fox, con widows into giving them money. Maria doesn't really like doing this, but doesn't see any alternatives. She has a friend who is a ghost who starts leaving her clues about their latest con victim and that leads to the unraveling of several mysteries. There are clues about the Beat Poets and artists from the late 50s and early 60s, which may send some young readers to investigate. It's a fun story to read and I think kids will like it a lot.

Gilbert Ford tells the story of young Maria, whose mother is a con artist posing as a psychic. When Maria begins getting messages from her friend Edward, she helps her mother's latest victim, but what will happen when her mother finds out?

Maria, Sebastian, and Ms. Madigan, and Mrs. Fisher are all likable characters. As Maria sees the contrast between Sebastian's family and her own, readers will sympathize with her. They will also cheer on Maria as she seeks to help Mrs. Fisher, and will hope for the best as the plot reaches its climax.

Unfortunately, the book feels a little too neat and tidy. The plot feels a little too much like a cliche, and the events in the book begin to feel very choreographed instead of feeling as though they are unfolding naturally.

Overall, this is nothing extraordinary; however, readers who tend toward the supernatural may enjoy this book.

The Mysterious Messenger by Gilbert Ford is a great mystery adventure involving psychics, ghosts and even a little bit of art history! Maria, an eleven-year-old girl, helps her "psychic" mother con widows out of family valuables. Yet, Maria, can truly communicate with the dead, a secret she keeps from her negligent mother. One day, a visitor arrives, and Edward, Maria's ghost friend, insists that Maria must help this visitor find a lost treasure. But the catch is, Edward only communicates in riddles that Maria must solve. All in all, a great read!

The Mysterious Messenger follows the story of Maria and her ability to talk to ghosts. What starts out as just another one of her mother's cons quickly turns into a mystery. I highly recommend that middle grade readers check out The Mysterious Messenger. I think that it has something for everyone.

The mother in this story really is horrible and Maria has a challenging life. The outrageousness of the characters makes this feel like a Roald Dahl book in some ways. There are some interesting facts about jazz history, art and the Beat poets.

This was a mystery that kept tugging, tugging, tugging at the reader! It was hard to put down because I just wanted to figure out what the treasure was and I wanted to know more about who was communicating with Maria. This book was about finding friendships and treasure in sometimes unexpected places. Readers won’t be able to help but root for the main character and wish for her to succeed! The pacing of this story is just right and the excitement and anticipation builds the whole way through. This is definitely a title I’ll add to the recommendations for the mystery genre.

Maria lives in a world of neglect and deceit. Forced to live off whatever junk food she can scrounge up and sleeping on a mattress in the closet ,the only time anyone pays attention to her is when she is forced to add to her mom's psychic con game or at the library where she does research on wealthy widows. She does have one friend but he is a ghost and the only communication is when Edward guides her hand. During one con, Edward reaches out and wants Maria to disobey her mom and deliver a set of clues to an ongoing victim. Suddenly Maria makes a new friend and is wrapped up in a treasure hunt delving into the "Beat" movement in art. A tenacious neighbor, a concerned librarian and a lonely kind widow will fill Maria's heart. While I didn't enjoy the con game, the treasure hunt through New York City was much fun and will appeal to fans of Blue Balliet's art mysteries. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Maria Russo is an 11 year old girl who lives in her mother's closet and has no friends, except the ghost that communicates with her. Her mom is a con artist, masquerading as a psychic, and won't allow Maria to have contact with anyone for fear of being found out. One of her mother's marks piques the interest of her ghost friend, and so Maria tries to help the elderly widow discover the meaning of messages they receive from the other side.

The author tells an engaging story where the character learns about the arts, music, and poetry of another time. The plot is nicely paced and yet easy to keep up with. Sadly I think some of my students will be able to identify with the themes of isolation, and not being able to share home life in public. Great for students who like a little spook without being terrified.

The Mysterious Messenger reminds me of books like Book Scavenger and Winterhouse — which is a good thing! Maria has always lived with her fake-psychic mom, picking up and leaving town when the police get wind of their schemes. Maria’s only friend is a ghost named Edward, who she’s been sensing since she was a little girl — but even then, she knew better than to tell her mother about her secret friend. Now Maria’s in New York — a new city, a new apartment, but the same old lonely life. Except, it turns out, not: First Maria makes a connection with a librarian, then her upstairs neighbor Sebastian insists on being her friend, and Edward gives her a mission to follow a lonely older woman into a the history of Greenwich Village. The more Maria explores life outside of her mom’s closets, the more she dreams of getting out of the endless loop of her life — but is there any hope for a different kind of life? (Spoiler: Yes, yes there is.) I love puzzle books that turn out to be as much about solving the mystery of who you want to be as much as about putting together a set of clues in pursuit of a hidden reward, and I love books that focus on finding and making the kind of family we want to have.

The book started out somewhat intriguing, but I didn't finish it as it just couldn't keep me interested. There were too many questions at the beginning that maybe could have been teased out (who is the ghost? why is he talking to the main character?). Also, I feel that the subject matter of beat poets and artists does not interest most kids. I'm sure it will find it's audience, but I don't feel it has enough wide-spread appeal early on to keep readers reading it.

The Mysterious Messenger is a great story of finding oneself in the midst of a mystery. Maria is the daughter of a psychic who wants so much more than what she has. Isolated from the world, she cautiously lets people into her life and learns she can have the normal life she always wanted.