A mystery at Lili Villa is a fun middle grade mystery set in Elathoor, a village in Kerala. The three cousins, Arj, Tam and Mira, are spending their summer vacation at their family home, Lili Villa. The cousins put on their detective hats when some gold jewellery gets stolen from their family home. They have a list of suspects, and they actively hunt for more clues. They are out to find the alibis of the innocent and nab the culprit before the police does. It was good to see the little ones think and eliminate suspects. Would the mean fisherwoman who does not give food to the cat be really mean at heart or does she have another story? There's a milking lady, Well Cleaner Mani who nurtures a secret ambition, a repair man, policeman Thombu, and a large group of characters who add spice to the mystery. The mentions of vacations in Kerala and the snacks were awesome (I love Kerala food, so that automatically gets points from me).

This was an enjoyable read and middle grade book lovers would find it a great, fast paced mystery. There were certain lines and descriptors that I wish could've been edited out. (You might see them in books published years ago. But this is a new release). But other than that, the three cousins are excellent sleuths and the novel is an enjoyable mystery solving journey.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this eBook.

A Mystery at Lili Villa by Arathi Menon is a delightful little book! I loved all the quirky characters. I also loved that it is set in Kerela because we need more books that are set in South India! This book will remind you so much of older mystery series such as Nancy Drew and Enid Blyton mysteries because they give you the same warm and cozy feelings. I will definitely read the other upcoming books in this series. Also, a special shoutout to the cover illustration. It is beautiful.

3.5
This was a heart-warmjng story that reminded me of the famous five or the Hardy boys but set in India. I would have loved this so much if I'd read it at a younger age, the perfect book for middle-grade readers who are fans of a mystery.

It was such a fun and easy read , reminded me of everything warm and summery, from spending time with cousins to the food , even if I'm not from the southern part of indian, the Indian aspect was something that I really adored , while out 3 main characters were equally adorable having their character arcs so well written .

And the mystery itself was really nice for a middle grade book . Definitely would come back to it time and again whenever I wanna read something fun , cute and homely

A Mystery at Lili Villa is a super fun and quick read about three cousins solving a robbery that happened at their house. It's an exciting read that keeps you hooked! I finished it in one sitting and it was just so good. The plot was fast moving, the characters were very cute and the food was AMAZING! i loved how the author described the food, I felt like I was eating with them. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a short, fun mystery!

I am somewhat hesitant to review this book. "A Mystery at Lili Village" definitely captures a little bit of my childhood.

It draws inspiration from the very books I grew up reading because my mom did and allowed me into the stories of Famous Five and Secret Seven, which I so desperately wanted to be in as a child.

As this book primarily caters for a younger and middle-grade audience, I won't go into detail analysing the class disparities between the children and the people they were investigating. While it is reminiscent of a common trope in the works that inspired this book, it did give me pause at times.

Apart from that, I adored "A Mystery at Lili Village" it was so good to see Kerala again from the eyes of a child. I think it is a fantastic edition to work exploring India outside of the typical lens found by most publishers.

I absolutely enjoyed the mystery, it was light hearted, modern and amazing

Arj, Mira and Tam set of to solve the mystery when the gold from the house is stolen. They go on adventures, have amazing experience, make friends and solve the case faster than the professional detectives!!
I absolutely adored Mira, her character arc was beautiful by the end she became strong and wasn't afraid of anything , Arj the oldest and the leader and Tam who came to Elthoor for a summer vacation!!
And I loved the refrence from South India, there are mentions of food, culture and the language!!

I loved this book very much. I didn’t know that I needed to read this until I read it. The story is set in Kerala, India and being a Malayali (people from Kerala are called Malayalis) myself, it was so heartwarming and amazing to read a book set in Kerala in which the Malayalis were represented perfectly.

I could relate to so many things in this book. Spending summer vacations in Kerala and playing with cousins all day long was exactly what I did. The characters in the story were like the people I meet and it felt so realistic. There were also many Malayalam words and dishes in the book.

Along with this, it was so much fun to read the adventures of Tam, Arj and Mira while they were trying to be detectives and find out the thief. They were actually so smart and their names came in the front page of the newspaper. They reminded me of my cousins and I miss the days when we all used to play together.

I’m confused what the artwork is supposed to mean that separates the chapters. I wish there was more context or it was connected to the story in some way.

Three kids with nothing to do ? Of course they are going to find adventure and mystery.

Arathi Menon provides both in A Mystery at Lili Villa. The trail of crumbs is actually interesting and fun. The kids get to eat different foods. They find out about different occupations. They discover secrets. It truly is an adventure.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

The Mystery at Lilli Villa by Arathi Menon follows Tamara (Tam) who is visiting her cousins, Arjun (Arj) and Mina, for the summer holidays in Elathur, Kerala, India. Tam is excited about seeing her cousins and enjoying the holiday festivities - including the tasty treats - when the Lili Villa is broken into, jewelry is stolen, and the group of kids discover mysterious footprints and begin to investigate. Menon’s crafts the mystery well by making sure there are a handful of suspects with interesting secrets to unravel and the main characters are likable. It was great reading a fun, mystery filled adventure; and I definitely recommend this book for young readers looking to dive into a mystery book.

What a special little book filled with mystery and crime solving fun! I was so excited to see some authentic South Asian representation and this book does not disappoint. I grew up reading the like of The Famous Five and The Secret Seven so I felt as though I had been transported back to my youth! I even found myself reminiscing about time I spent abroad with my cousins and the mysteries we tried to solve! I simply adore this book! Each character is so full of life and the children are just the most curious and so smart following them on their adventure has been a real treat!

Thanks to Yali Books for an e-ARC of this middle grade mystery. Set in Kerala, India this is a perfect mystery for middle grade readers. It's a great length (only 166 pages), and does a terrific job reinforcing the idea that there is more to a person's story than what you might believe.

A Mystery at Lili Villa is a delightful story of three sleuthing preteens. Siblings Arj and Mira and their city cousin Tam. It is based in Elathoor, a little village in Kerala where everyone knows everyone. There is a theft in the house and the three kids decide to solve the crime on their own. And as always, warnings by adults have little or no effect.

I generally don’t pick up middle-grade books but there was something about the blurb that appealed to me. Reading it was a trip down memory lane.

The writing style is suited for a young audience. And so is the mystery. Although it is marketed as middle grade, the book would also appeal to younger kids too. The cover is rather cute and sets the tone of the book. The glossary at the end is the cherry on top. A humorous description of Hindi and Malayali words, and food.

How can I miss the food? It is sure to make your mouth water just by reading about it. Lip-smacking delicacies churned out by the cook, Pitamma, as the little sleuths rack their brains on who the thief might be. No wonder she is last on their list for questioning.

Unlike most middle-grade books, this one does not preach. The kids were not perfect neither precocious. But regular kids looking for an adventure. The settings were realistic (of course, there were some creative liberties). It does delve into some “grown-up” topics such as counterfeit medicine. But in a simplistic way.

I highly recommend the book and it would make an excellent gift for kids and preteens. If you are a parent who has grown up on Enid Blytons and want your child to share a similar experience, do pick up this book. And if you are not a parent, pick this one for yourself. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series, The Mystery at the Mumbai Turf Club.

Synopsis: Tam aka Tamara is spending her vacation with cousins Arj and Mira at their Ancestral home, Lili Villa at Elathoor. One night , Tam wakes up from sleep hearing a thud only to find that her aunt's jewelry has been stolen. The awesome three sets out to solve the mystery, with a long list of suspects.
Review: I am extremely grateful to netgalley , yalibooks , lonelypagesbooktours and Arathi Menon for the e-arc of this cozy mystery.
The good aspects:
This is a fast paced captivating mystery. The children are whom we all were at one point of time- cheerful, curious and naughty . Being a native of a small village in Kerala, the characters and the setting are quite relatable: the small town where everybody knows everyone and everything; the homely names- be it that of the characters or of the cows; the well respected only Doctor couple in the whole village and the mouthwatering spicy and sour delicacies . The author who made me an avid reader is Enid Blyton. This book made me reminisce my childhood days, wherein I used to wait for the next book in the various mystery series by Enid Blyton from our Public library. I'm glad that such books do exist with relatable settings for the Indian kids today. Also, Is Tam inspired from our very own George of Famous Five?
What could have been better:
The author has given us several hints about the culprit and we tend to solve it before the climax . This is not a negative aspect ,considering the fact that this is a children's book and that I've read too many mysteries. The nicknames of the patients derived from their diseases are often used by patients themselves and doctors to easily remember them; but being a practising Doctor and realising the fact that my patients are more than their diseases makes me think about it differently. I hope the author would keep this in mind while writing her future books.
Rating: 4/5

Many thanks to Lonely Pages Book Tour, the publisher and the author for providing me with a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

FIRST IMPRESSION:

I was super excited to finally read a middle-grade novel with South Asian rep! Looking back, I don’t think I have ever read any contemporary South Asian middle-grade novel ever, so yay! And how cute is that cover? I absolutely love the green-yellow-orange theme of it and I would love to see this as a paperback on my shelves!

THE STORY:

Tam is visiting her cousins Arj and Mira in Elathoor, Kerala for their summer vacations. They live in this really beautiful bungalow named Lili Villa and their days are usually filled with impromptu science experiments in the estate and enjoying the absolutely mouthwatering delicacies cooked by Pitamma.

One day Tam hears someone sneaking around outside the house at night and she’s terrified. Then the next day they discover that their aunt’s jewellery has been stolen in the middle of the night. While Thombu, the sub-inspector, carries out his own investigation, the Terrific Three decide on finding the thief using their own methods, starting with a long list of interesting suspects, including the unpleasant driver Kodavis, the always-complaining milking lady Dumdumchecchi, DoubleMean the fisherwoman, and many more!

MY THOUGHTS:

A Mystery a Lili Villa really warmed my heart because it reminded me of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and Secret Seven but with a South Asian twist. From the summer vacation vibes to the biking and the food they pack along for their sleuthing, this story made me really nostalgic for my middle-school days when I would get lost in a good Blyton mystery for hours. That being said, I feel like POC middle-school kids nowadays are so lucky to have POC authors writing books like these that are a lot more relatable and representative of who they are.

Menon really understood her audience well and used interesting characters and food to capture her young audience. Literally, every character in this book had an interesting backstory that the three children find out while they carry out their investigation, and it really teaches young children to empathise more with people who they see every day and take for granted.

At the same, Menon also takes time to point out important morals, including manners, in the subtlest way. I really liked how Arj takes his role as the eldest very seriously and tries to set a good example as well as point out when the other two are being disrespectful or rude. There was also some character development, especially in Mira, that I think would be inspirational to the reader as well.

The real star of this book is honestly the wonderful South Asian rep. There is food, there is culture, but there is also the modern-day trifles that a younger audience could easily relate to, like Tam preferring shorts to the long skirts she keeps tripping over. I loved that story was set in Kerala and the reader gets to see bits of village life while the investigative work progresses. Menon even included multiple glossaries, but worded in such a fun way that even a child would love to read it!

FINAL VERDICT:

A Mystery in Lili Villa is a wonderful South Asian middle-grade mystery novel that reminded me of my own childhood reading Enid Blyton mysteries. A Mystery at Lili Villa is a valuable addition to the South Asian middle-grade literature shelves in libraries that would enthral children with its authentic descriptions of culture, food and life in India that is both relatable and fun at heart.

The Mystery at Lilli Villa is a story that takes place in Kerala, India, and is a delightful children's mystery.
Tam is spending the summer holidays with her cousins Arj and Mira in Elathoor, a small village in Kerala, when their family house, Lili Villa, is broken into and some jewelry is stolen.
Tam hears mysterious footsteps in the middle of the night at Lilli Villa. Terrified, she goes back to sleep, but the next morning she tells her cousins about it. They soon discover footprints outside and when they tell their parents this, it is soon found that Sheila Ammayi’s (Arj and Mira's mother) jewels have been stolen.
Thombu, a local cop, is summoned, and he quickly discovers not one, but a slew of people whose shoe sizes match the strange pattern both inside and out. Even though they had been forewarned against it, the youngsters chose to investigate on their own and quickly uncover more than one secret.
This was a wonderfully sweet, delightful book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
As a fan of mysteries, I enjoyed seeing the youngsters work together to solve the mystery.
There's a glossary at the end of the book, which is helpful for defining foods and other terms that many readers won't be familiar with.

A Mystery at Lili Villa stars cousins Arj, Mira and Tam on their summer vacation at the Lili Villa in a small village called Elathoor in Kerala. Its summer and the three of them hope for some fun and exciting times. But things soon turn very grim when a robbery takes place in the villa. While the police is at work to uncover the robbery, the three cousins take it upon themselves to solve the mystery too.

This book was so fun to read. I loved how the kids were so clever and thought things through most of the time, you know. Like, they were kids so obviously they did such things but also, so clever. Like going out everyday in the pretense of exploring so that their parents won't suspect a thing. Staying up all night just to catch the driver in action, but that too in turns. And then carefully talking with the suspects without arousing any suspicion. Kudos to them haha! I loved that.

Its a children's book so of course there were scenes that didn't particularly please me, but that's just me. Its, at the end, such an adorable mystery story. I loved how the story unfolded and we got to see a whole lot glimpses of South Indian food. The cousins were superb and absolutely cute. The whole book was.

Book: A Mystery At Lili Villa
Author: Arathi Menon
Publisher: Yali Books
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Description:
Cousins Arj, Tam, and Mira are spending their summer vacation in Elathoor, a little village in Kerala when their family home, Lili Villa, is broken into and some jewelry is stolen. The Terrific Three set out to solve the mystery but soon discover that there is no shortage of suspects. Is it Pinching Kodavis or Dumdumchecchi, the milking lady? Is it the mean fisherwoman who starves the cat or the retired nurse who owns a luxury car? Or is it Mani with his upside-down Russian secret? Who could the thief possibly be?

In a throwback to unscheduled summer vacations, this cozy mystery will charm young readers with plenty of sibling sparring, some intrepid sleuthing, and an endless parade of mouth-watering snacks.
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🌿 The story is so so fun to read. The book is so quick and amazing. It talks about three kids and how they solve the case of robbery in their own way.
🌿 The book was a major nostalgia. I love meeting my cousins and always did things like this when we were kid. Ofcourse, never solved a real mystery but still this book reminded me of old days and all the fun we had as a kid.
🌿 The kids were so smart and their dynamic was amazing. Ofcourse they weren't always on the right track or thought properly before approaching anyone but they were clever for their own age. They made sure to go out everyday without creating any suspicion and inquire the suspects without giving away anything.
🌿 The cover is so beautiful.
🌿 Special credit to all the food mentioned. They didn't fail to water my mouth😋
🌿 I love children's book and I absolutely loved this one. Hope to get a paperback copy of it and also excited to read the sequel.

A charming cosy mystery for children, set in Kerala, India.

Tam has joined her cousins Arj and Mira for the summer holidays at their home Lili Villa, in a small Kerala village. As is usually the case, she finds it difficult to sleep for the first few nights. So it is that one night she is the only person awake when a loud thud breaks the night's silence, followed by heavy footsteps. Tam is frozen with fear and does nothing. The next day she confides in her cousins, who are intrigued by the mystery of the strange sounds, but when they find suspicious footprints in the mud beside a window, the children realise they need to tell the adults. Aunty Sheila soon discovers that her gold jewellery has been stolen from her room, so the police are called. Upon the Sub-Inspector's advice they compile a list of all the people who have recently had access to Lili Villa, including the cook, driver and cowherd, who all work at the property, a social visitor, an electrician, a fish-seller and various others. It's a manageable list, so the kids - all aspiring detectives - decide to investigate!

I really enjoyed this and read it fairly quickly. There's no violence, just a few moments that might get young readers' pulses racing. The three cousins are all smart, gutsy kids who mostly work well together, and have a sense of responsibility (well, apart from meddling in a police investigation...). The warmth and beauty of Kerala shine through, and the cook keeps everyone well-fed with mouth-watering treats. I'm happy to see there are going to be further adventures for this trio.

cosy-mystery, middle-grades, India, theft, pre-teens, fun, glossary, investigators, amateur-sleuth, family, friendship*****

Just goes to show that kids are kids no matter where they live or what language is their first.
Three youngsters who are good friends decide to be detectives and find out who stole jewelry from the household because they don't trust the police inspector to get it right. They do a good and logical job of it and find many secrets about their suspects. Really good story!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Yali Books/Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) via NetGalley. THANK YOU!