Charlotte Iles is a former child detective who is now in her 20s and trying to figure out what to do with her life. She has distanced herself from her family and friends and is determined to stay away from her detective past. However, her brother entices her to take a new case, involving his girlfriend, and Charlotte is back to investigating along with her friends Lucy and Gabe. A low-stakes and lighthearted mystery that is also about the importance of friendships. Readers of Maureen Johnson will really like this one.

3.75/5 stars! This book was very sweet and very cozy. This is for fans of Encyclopedia Brown and those readers who don't need high-stakes danger to make their stories complete. I enjoyed the story but could have used a bit more adventure for my taste. But for a quick and sweet read with good pacing and fun characters, this story works.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Reluctantly, Charlotte is pulled back into the mystery-solving world she knew—just one more time. But that world is a whole lot more complicated for an adult. As a kid, she was able to crack the case and still get her homework done on time. Now she’s dealing with dead bodies, missing persons, and villains who actually see her as a viable threat. And the detective skills she was once so eager to never use again are the only things that can stop a killer ready to make sure her next retirement is permanent. This was such a fun adventure this is the first book I have read from this author.
#CharlotteIllesIsNotaDetective #NetGalley

One of my fave series is Lutz’s Spellman series and I was glad to find a new title that took me down memory lane. The 20 something Angst was a little trying at times but overall a fun read.

All clues point to fun in this queer, grown-up Encyclopedia Brown-style zany mystery. And, much like Encyclopedia Brown, you're gonna have to pay *very close attention* to the details if you're going to keep up with Charlotte Illes (who, of course, isn't a detective.)

Such a fun read! Charlotte used to be a child detective but it stuck in a quarter life crisis and not moving forward. She gets reeled in to taking a new case and we get to meet Lucy and Gabe, her hilarious best friends. I enjoyed reading this!!

A fun and unique concept within a quick read. The child detective grows up and stops solving crimes, then is “unwillingly” pulled back into the thick of things. Charlotte Illes is a relatable character with lots of layers and I want to know what happens next in her life. Already looking forward to a sequel.

“Nancy Drew” was the first book series I read as a child, and, if memory serves, I did read all fifty-six of them. Maybe it was because the back cover copy tells us that it is nostalgic (albeit a much younger nostalgia than mine) that Nancy resurfaced in my memories. Still, it was fun to relive those wonderful days of lying on the couch consumed with the latest un-putdownable episode that evoked such warm feelings for Charlotte.

When Charlotte “Lottie” Iles was ten years old, she solved a small mystery at her elementary school. She became an overnight sensation and was soon helping lots of people solve little mysteries at school and in the community.

But now Charlotte is twenty-five years old. She is unemployed, lives with her mom, had no love life and a small social life. She is worried that she has “peaked.” But the universe is giving her one more chance to get her act together.

It seems that the company where her brother’s girlfriend, Olivia. works is trying to organize. Seems outdated in 2023 that unions are still considered a threat and that companies will do anything to stop it. But once I started reading this book, I saw it everywhere on the news. And so a dead body of one of the other employees turns up. But that’s not the thing that captures Charlotte’s attention. It’s the murder and the disappearance of Brian, one of Olivia’s co-workers that lures Charlotte back into detecting. Joined by her two best friends, Lucy and Gabe, the trio pits their heads together and gets to work.

A cozy mystery disguising itself as a mystery, this mixture of past and present amateur sleuthing gives “Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective,” a wonderfully innocent, yet amusing, aura that last until all the mysterious elements are resolved.

Therefore, “Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective,” received 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Thank you, Kensington Books, Kensington, for allowing me to read Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective early.

Sadly, this wasn't my cup of tea. I didn't vibe with the main character and the prose wasn't to my liking.

I grew up reading Nancy Drew, so when I read that it was a blend of it and Harriet the Spy, I was hooked! Quick, fun read.

Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective by Katie Siegel is an entertaining, quirky, and cute murder/mystery that I really enjoyed.

This is such a unique murder/mystery. It has memorable characters, quirkiness, relatable and likable characters, yet has an edge to it with a mystery to solve.

Charlotte is a great main character…as young as she is, she is grappling with the concept of being “past her prime” and are her “best days behind her” at such a young age. Trying to figure out what her goals and purpose in life should be is a great concept to add to a murder mystery that has a cozy mystery feel to it.

Bringing her out of her slump to investigate again is fun, entertaining, and most of us can relate to these ideas and fears in one way or another.

I enjoyed the pacing, the plot, the character cast, and the ending.

I definitely enjoy this.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/27/23.

I loved the premise of this book, the title and the cover but once I started reading I couldn’t stay into it. I don’t know if it’s the authors style of writing or just my attitude, but I’m sure it will appeal to a vast many others.