What a fantastic book!!!! Filled with amazing and eccentric characters, intriguing and mysterious events and plot twists, hilarious one liners and quirky carry-ons! Such a great read with humour and heart! I can’t wait to go on another case with Inspector McGee and ‘Doctor’ John Boarhog! They might even catch the Mauve Moth one of these days.,, but where’s the fun in that… no capture… more books in the series and I am all for that!!!!

"The Curious League of Detectives and Thieves 1: Egypt's Fire" by Tom Phillips is an exhilarating and imaginative adventure that blends elements of mystery, history, and fantasy into a captivating tale. Set in a world where ancient artifacts hold the key to unlocking magical powers, the novel follows a diverse cast of characters as they embark on a thrilling quest to uncover the truth behind a series of mysterious disappearances. Phillips' writing is dynamic and engaging, drawing readers into a richly imagined world filled with ancient secrets and hidden dangers.

At the heart of the story are the members of the Curious League – a group of talented individuals with unique skills and backgrounds who come together to solve mysteries and protect the innocent. From the brilliant detective with a knack for deduction to the daring thief with a heart of gold, each character brings something special to the table, making for a dynamic and entertaining ensemble cast.

As the League delves deeper into their investigation, they soon find themselves embroiled in a high-stakes adventure full of twists, turns, and unexpected revelations. From the bustling streets of Cairo to the treacherous depths of ancient tombs, "Egypt's Fire" is a pulse-pounding thrill ride that will keep readers guessing until the very end. With its captivating plot, well-drawn characters, and richly detailed world-building, Tom Phillips' novel is sure to delight fans of mystery and adventure alike.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I’m going to be honest I could not get myself to finish this book. I picked up Egypt’s Fire several times and couldn’t get into it. Maybe I didn’t love the book because I’m not the target audience, but I still usually really enjoy middle grade novels. There was something about the way the story just drags on that couldn’t keep my interest. Possibly if I kept with it for a little bit longer it could’ve grown on me, but it was starting to feel like a waste of time and I had other books I had more interest in.

I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest review.

Really well thought-out book with amazing characters and excellent setting. Love the cover

John Boarhog is an orphan who has elected to drop out of the system and live in the ceiling of a museum. Which lands him in the middle of a theft of which he is accused. The Egypt’s Fire – a very large ruby – is stolen and found in Boarhog’s pocket. But is it the Egypt’s fire or a substitute? Thus starts the madcap life of John where he goes to jail, goes to court and is assigned a sponsor. The sponsor is possibly the world’s greatest detective. This is a fun book and I look forward to hearing my grandson’s opinion.

If you are looking for a book that is fun, goofy and is not to be taken serious then this is the book for you! I had a blast reading this one even if it made me roll my eyes a time or two it also made me chuckle.

John Boarhog is a kid living in the attic above a museum. He has been for about six months and the museum is getting a new Eygptian display and John was curious about it so he snuck down to check it out in a pair of security coveralls he took and there he sees Eygpt’s Fire, for a few minutes before he starts to feel weird and next thing he knows he is being woken up by the police and the large ruby is missing.

John swears he didn’t take it and with that enters Inspector Toadius McGee who believes the boy because he knows who took it someone he has been chasing for a long time called The Mauve Moth. The inspector ends up with the boy in his custody and they set out to find out where the ruby is and to try and catch the Mauve Moth.

I really enjoyed the characters in this there was a lot of fun ones and some not so nice ones but they were all interesting. I think the author must be a fan of Sherlock Holmes because that is who the inspector reminded me of and he called John “doctor” all the time.

This story was very over the top zany and full of things that could never happen and had an action sequence at the end that reminded me of some of my favorite classic cartoons. I laughed and had fun and that is pretty much how I rate my books on if they entertain me.

I would say it might not be for all adults, though I enjoyed it so some might, but others might find it a bit to over the top. I do think that kids will love it have a lot of fun with the characters. I can’t wait for another one to see what other adventures the Inspector and John get into.

** “In life, people will try to put you down. They will tell you that the world is too big or that you are too small. Believe this old professor when I say that the only person who can stop you from becoming the greatest version of yourself … is, in fact, you.” **

“Egypt’s Fire” by Tom Phillips is a delightful adventure of fun, family and discovery.

After John Boarhog becomes an orphan, he secretly makes himself a home hidden in the ceiling of the New York Museum of Natural History. But when he finds himself framed for stealing the famous Egypt’s Fire ruby from the museum, he must figure out a way to clear his name.

Inspector Toadius McGee agrees to take John under his wing and teach him everything he knows about being a detective, all while also searching for the elusive Mauve Moth and revealing her true identity.

“Egypt’s Fire” is a fun book full of mystery, suspense and laughs. Phillips does a great job of creating characters that are lovable as well as loathsome, all while revealing a twisty plot that will keep the reader entertained until the very end.

He also includes some good themes throughout the book, like the importance of family, whether it’s the family you are born with or the one you create; you can’t lose your way if you let your heart guide you; the day you stop learning is the day you stop living; always seek out life’s mysteries; and choose to create your own destiny (“There is one moment in every person’s life when they must decide to choose their own destiny. Otherwise, they will never be anything more than a puppet”).

A cross between “Encyclopedia Brown” and “The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” by E.L. Konigsburg, “Egypt’s Fire” will appeal to fans of books by Lemony Snicket, James Patterson’s “Treasure Hunters” series and Trenton Lee Stewart’s “Mysterious Benedict Society” series. This book, which is due out June 7, is the first in Phillip’s “The Curious League of Detectives & Thieves” series.

Five stars out of five.

Pixel+Ink provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

This is such a fun middle grade read! Everything from the characters to the story and every crazy moment in between will suck readers in until the very end!

It’s a mystery that keeps you on your toes with plenty of humor and heart. Toadius gives readers the eclectic and eccentric detective reminiscent of a sillier Sherlock, and John is a young protagonist that I think kids will easily relate to and see themselves in.

While there are crazy car chases and mischievous monkeys, there are also a lot of deeper thoughts and feelings that John works through. There’s something for every reader in this exciting mystery!

I can’t wait to see what else is in store for John and Toadius!

I thought that this would be an entertaining young adult book but it was extremely depressing at the beginning and I couldn't proceed.

The book was abandoned.

What a fun. educational. and fast-paced journey this book takes you on! I am so glad I had the chance to read this. I loved that the book was very descriptive and I felt immersed in the world that this was taking place in. Would love to read more of this author's work.

What a delightful journey through the museum, Egyptology, and curses. John and Toadius make a great pair and I hope they are able to solve more mysteries together in the upcoming books.

I think this book was the perfect start of a series, the way the author writes perfectly explains what is going on without dumbing down the content like so many middle grades end up doing go their readers.

I am really interested to see where this story continues on in the future.

Egypt's Fire from The Curious League of Detectives and Thieves certainly lived up to it's title. It was definitely curious and reminded me a bit of slapstick comedy like the movie Airplane (I'm not a Doctor). I had a bit of trouble getting into it at first, but once you get used to the quirky characters and the somewhat spoof style of detective novel, it moves along quickly and definitely keeps you guessing as to what will happen next as John and Inspector Toadius try to find out who really stole the Egypt's Fire and framed John for the robbery. The book comes to a satisfying conclusion, but leaves it open for the next detective adventure.

This frenetic story has an oddly old-fashioned feeling although it's set in the present day. In the beginning, it reminded me a bit of "From the the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler", with a young boy named John hiding in the New York Museum of Natural History. A crime happens and the story descends into delightful chaos peopled with a bizarre cast of characters ranging from the world's greatest detective to a gay prize-fighter and an entertainer who keeps showing up in unexpected places. A fun beginning to a middle grade series.

My one and only visit to this cockamamie world of high dramas actually began really well, introducing John, a young orphan (well, his father vanished first thing and his mother seems to have died since) living in a private space above some New York museum loos. But when he flukes a chance to see the brand new exhibit, a dazzling and huge Egyptian ruby, he's soon found unconscious, in possession of said gem, and in the opinion of all the cops, detectives, reporters and museum bosses all far-too handily at the scene, thoroughly guilty of theft. With no option but to go round with the derring-do bonkersness that is allegedly one of the best detectives in the world, he is on a race to find the master criminal that managed to stitch him up.

While set in New York, this seemed to have a British kids' fiction sensibility at first – quirk for the benefit of the story and not for quirks' sake; a fine way of bringing an underdog character to life. But things soon palled. Characters had to pile on the wackiness to outdo each other, or at least turn up in the most unlikely of circumstances, everything had to get more and more colourful, and in amongst trying to control all that, the narrative voice turned into Lemony Snicket. Seriously, if it had explained in a patronising manner one more aspect of a certain chapter I'd have done the digital equivalent of throwing this in the recycling.

OK, so I'd have fished it out and put it to a charity shop afterwards, but why try so hard to ruin a fight scene by describing rock-paper-scissors? For an audience that needs that kind of talking-down-to (if there is one), this is a lengthy crime caper with more than enough brio, but come on – cramming jokes about Judi Dench's name into things isn't going to appease them either. Nor is a theatre show where the overture is played twice. The whole thing is over-egged, over-written and over for me – a quite clumsy effort, all told. And yes I did pick that up from the series title, but carried on regardless. More fool me.

One and a half stars.

REVIEW:

✨this middle grade story is a masterpiece for children! the entire time I was reading it I could not help but compare it to other series like percy jackson and artemis fowl.

✨this would also be an amazing animated show or movie. i kept imagining a disney-like quality to the way everything was explained and the relationships between characters and the plot.

✨i think this book was the perfect start of a series, the way the author writes perfectly explains what is going on without dumbing down the content like so many middle grades end up doing go their readers.

✨i’m really interested to see where this story continues on in the future!!!

What a delightful romp through the museum, Egyptology, and curses. John and Toadius make a great pair and I hope they are able to solve more mysteries together. All while eating pancakes, of course.

Here’s a fun, engaging series for middle grade readers who are testing out genres. The comical detective and the smart kid play off each very well and the writing reminded me of Terry Pratchett - humorous, silly, but very clever.

Thank you Netgalley for a digital ARC!

I read this book with my little cousin and she absolutely loved it! I think it’s a great book and can’t wait for the next one!

What an awesome book to pick for our bedtime story. My 7 year old grandson and I fell in love with John Boarhog. We enjoyed John's adventures and look forward to his next. Imaginative. Great characters. Good story plot. Thanks #netgalley and #HolidayHouse/Peachtree/PixelInk for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.