This book is set in 1880s Sweden and follows 12-year-old Mika as she goes about her chores and minds other kids at the Public orphanage. Her life is difficult, but she grows worried when some kids are starting to behave suspiciously, and then altogether disappear. Something is not right: she suspects they have skipped school and run away to become pickpockets. But as Mika starts to investigate, with a little help from an old friend from the police force, she soon finds herself in deep trouble.

I knew from Netgalley that this is the second installment of a middle-grade historical series, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying it tremendously! For sure I would have liked it even more if I’d read the first one but I could understand most of it. The pace was good and the setting in 19th century Sweden kept me interested all the way. I found Mika very likeable, and also believable, even when the adventures were really stretching credibility. Mika is a mature 12-year-old, no doubt wise beyond her years because of the hardships, and she has a sense of duty and integrity. There’s a very nice balance between being hopeful to improve her life condition and that of her friends and doing the right thing in difficult circumstances.

The book gets a little dark at times and so I would probably recommend it for older middle school kids. There are elements of suspense around Mika’s origin story, and I would love to follow her in the next adventure!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I received a free copy of this book for review consideration.

This is the second in The Moonwind Mysteries, originally published in Swedish. It's such a heartwarming middle grade adventure story of friendship. I look forward to the next one.

** “Mika believes in coincidence, in theory, but she doesn’t think it’s as common as many people think. It often just depends on the angle from which you look at a situation. She remembers what she said to the chief of police last winter. Sometimes things do add up, even though they don’t seem to at first.” **

Originally written in Swedish, Johan Rundberg’s “The Queen of Thieves” is a delightful mystery that continues the story of a plucky 12-year-old heroine.

Mika is still helping to oversee the orphaned children while living at the Public Children’s Home in Stockholm. When one of the children goes missing, and another one begins to act suspiciously, Mika turns to her friend Constable Valdemar Hoff — who is investigating an uptick in pickpocketing — to figure out what’s happening to her friends.

When Mika determines the truth, she must decipher who can be trusted and what fate she truly seeks.

Rundberg does an incredible job of creating a plot filled with lots of suspense, as well as developing intriguing characters, including the spunky and daring Mika and the bumbling constable. He reveals the importance of paying attention and determining the truth behind a situation; protecting oneself; the value of loyalty; and having a sense of identity.

Fans of characters like Nancy Drew and Young Sherlock Holmes will love “The Queen of Thieves,” which is due out March 5.

Five stars out of five.

Amazon Crossing Kids provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

I didn't realize this was the second book in a series so I was a bit lost but did the research to get caught up to understand and I loved it. I read it with my kiddos who are hooked. Loved the pacing and the writing a lot. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author, thank you for the E-ARC!

It's always a delight to read a sequel that follows up better than the first book. Just like how I read The Night Raven in one sitting, it goes the same with The Queen of Thieves. I enjoyed this a lot. There is more character development and emotional involvement involved.

This second book of the Moonwind Mysteries series reveals a darker plot. There were numerous reports of theft, and it was suspected that children from the orphanage were involved. Then, the disappearance of one of her orphan friends, Ossian, just before he was going to be adopted, slowly opens up the mystery of the person behind the theft cases.

Why did I say it's getting darker? It's because in this book, Mika mostly does the 'investigation' by herself. Valdemar, the constable who became her partner in the first book, is not prominently featured. Despite this, they are still a great, dynamic pair here.

There has been a lot of development in Mika's character. She develops bravery to take bold steps, cleverness with her plans and resources, and she learns to accept things she can't control. Some of Mika's fellow orphan characters also have interesting roles here. I was drawn to the sweetness and hopefulness of their friendships.

This sequel also got better due to more emotion involved. There is a betrayal involved, and I admit it caught me off guard. I suffered from that as well.

The Dark Angel from the first book remains unanswered, and there are plot holes everywhere. But, I believe the journey still has a long way to go. While there are some plot holes, I still consider it to be a perfect read for middle grade. I hope the next sequels will be available sooner.

The second book in the Moonwind series. This book was mostly written about the characters and the plot was lacking a little. But that doesn’t make it less exciting. I loved the bond between Mika and Valdemar.

The excitement and mystery continue in this sequel to The Night Raven. I immediately enjoyed finding out what Mika was up to since I was already invested in and connected to her character. She is so adventurous and mischievous yet also so compassionate and invested in caring for those around her. The Queen of Thieves presents a new kind of villain while also focusing on the orphan children in Mika’s life. You also continue to learn a little about the secret of Mika’s history and the Dark Angel. Johan Rundberg is an incredible weaver of mystery for middle grade readers. On that note, I must give credit to A. A. Prime for her masterful translation of this incredible mystery. I don’t believe that just any old translator and certainly not software could maintain the excitement of the story.

The Queen of Thieves is the second book in a Swedish series that is being translated into English. We follow Mika, a young orphan who lives in an orphanage. She has history of helping the police and in this book she tries to help stop a woman who is a thief and has recruited other orphans to help pull off the heist.

I really liked this book! It was interesting and dark. I would suggest this for older kids since it does have a lot of dark topics. Mika and her fellow orphans go through a lot of hardships. I liked the ongoing mystery of who Mika is and her family that started in the first book. I liked the different relationships throughout the book as well. The mystery of the thief and the heist were interesting and kept me guessing.

Thanks so much to netgalley and Amazoncrossing for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! I hope this series keeps getting translated so I can read more of it!

Excellent middle grade novel!! Well written, lots of dramatic content to central the reader. It does have content worthy of discussion and some difficult themes which are foundational to the narrative. Note: I read book one in series first to establish the characters and thoroughly enjoyed it. Hoping for more adventures in the future. Would recommend to any middle grade reader wholeheartedly!

This mystery/adventure book for middle grade readers is set in 1880 Stockholm. When her fellow orphans at the orphanage start to behave strangely, our main character Mika suspects that they are part of a ring of thieves. She is torn between her passion for justice and her desire to protect her friends.

What drew me into this novel was Mika and the decisions she had to make. For someone who seems so law abiding there’s a lot of law breaking. Someone in her position wouldn’t have had many options.

I will say that this is the second novel in a series and I haven’t read the first. Probably as a result of this, I felt like the characters were underdeveloped and the plot was a little clunky. However, I do think kids ages 8-12 would enjoy the fast paced adventure of this story and I would recommend it to students.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the arc of this exciting sequel, in exchange for my honest review.

It was so good to be back at the orphanage in Sweden in 1880. Life is hard but Mika tries her best to keep the other children safe and tells them stories and jokes at mealtimes to lift their spirits. But in this sequel I could feel even more tension because Mika herself gets in so much trouble. And she has to try to save several children from a very evil and smart opponent.

And apart from that, she’s also still trying to figure out her own identity and keeping baby Nora alive!

Valdemar is a little less present in this sequel but I’m glad he was a part of it and has Mika’s back because he’s such a great character and we got a glimpse into his past which made me even more curious about the next book in this amazing mystery series!

3 out of 5 Stars

It was quite enjoyable but no where near as good as the first book The Night Raven was.

I love Rundberg's historical mysteries - not skimping on the unsavory truths of the time period, but still managing to make it slightly hopeful, and at the same time giving us a solid mystery and a great odd-couple detective team.

I enjoyed the second addition to the Moonwind Mysteries less than the first.
However, I am endeared to Mika and a host of other characters in the series, so I would continue on if book three is translated into English.
I enjoy the fact that there is a thread of mysteries that continue throughout the series, yet a smaller scale mystery is also solved within each novel.
Clean content, but a bit dark.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for a chance to preview this book before its release date.

I enjoy this series a lot. I love the characters and the respect Valdemar shows for Mika recognizing her skills. This time they must find the woman who is using the children to steal and run chaos. If Mika helps perhaps the children may not be punished. I love when the story focuses on kids and saving them. Great pacing and mood like the first book. I hope there will be more than just a duology.

Thank you publisher and Netgalley for this e-copy.

"Mika will do what it takes to uncover a string of thefts in the city - and keep her fellow orphans safe.

After a merciless winter, spring has sprung in 1880 Stockholm, and the city awaits the arrival of the SS Vega, the first ship to have sailed the Northeast Passage. Life is busy at the orphanage, but twelve-year-old Mika quickly notices that the older orphans are up to something - and it doesn't look good.

When Constable Hoff approaches her with information about thefts around the city, Mika becomes even more concerned about what the other kids are up to - and what they might be planning for the Vega celebration. The police will have no sympathy for orphans, and she'd hate to see her friends condemned to life in jail.

But Mika soon finds herself in a bind she can't get out of - one that could condemn her own life. Can Mika uncover who is really behind the thefts in the city and keep her friends safe, without getting caught? Find out in this breathless sequel to The Night Raven."

Personally I'm all for pickpocket orphans getting away with it...

I really liked this mystery! It was perfect for my middle grade kiddos. It is exciting without being gory and fast paced without being overwhelming. The characters are relatable and the mystery wasn't easy to predict.

I chose the original title in this series (The Night Raven) as my Amazon First Reads choice for October 2023. My 10-year=old daughter read it and rated it 4.5 stars, so I was excited to see the next book in the series available on NetGalley to follow along with more of Mika's adventures.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read in which Mika was required to solve another mystery affecting her and the orphanage in which she resides. On the plus side, this book delved into the plot more quickly than the first, which spent more time introducing the characters and setting the scene. However, my daughter and I did not find the story as exciting or engaging overall, as the mystery element of the first book was better done.

Thank you to NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I adored this book so much . Thank you for allowing me to read this Arc. This was a book i was eager to read once it came out so I’m thankful i was able of read it early

I really liked how this book just kept getting better and better!
It was a really good book and I will look at other books by this author. I liked that there were things that surprised me in the story and it made me want to keep reading it. I finished this book really quickly