I adore Charlotte Illes. And her best friends Lucy and Gabe. This is the second outing in this series, and we find the trio working undercover at Lucy's school. While Charlotte is there as a substitute teacher, she's got ulterior motives- she's on a case. This book made me laugh, it's just a delight to read. And while the book revolves around the mystery, the friendship between Charlotte, Lucy, and Gabe is really the heart of the story.

This book is just as fun as the first one, Charlotte Isles is Not a Detective. You don't have to read it to enjoy this book, but I wouldn't miss it!

This is the second of the series and, while not as twisty as the first, it was still thoroughly enjoyable. I love the interactions between Lucy, Lottie, and Gabe, and appreciate the extra background details each book provides.

I will admit that I only made it about a chapter into this book before I felt like I needed to put it down for a couple days. It opens on a courtroom scene, and nothing is more exciting than boring court dialogue.

Except the witness, Charlotte Illes, isn't giving the normal boring court dialogue. She's being a little sassy, clearly desperate to do the right thing but not willing to compromise on her integrity (and, if we're being honest, isn't great at dealing with people in general. Her people know how she is, but in any other context, it's more an acquired taste).

And one chapter was enough to make me realize, OK, I want to know more about this character. And I knew this was the second book in a series, and you only get one chance at a first impression. So I set this book down in order to read the first book and get introduced properly.

I was so glad I did.

The Charlotte Illes books are not romance, which is sort of a first on here. This site was never intended to be explicitly romance-centric, that just tends to be how non-straight books are marketed: How would we know they're queer if we didn't see them making out with queer people? Even in books where the relationship is sort of ancillary to the genre plot (Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet), it's still a major part.

Charlotte, by contrast, though she is queer, does not define herself (or her story) by that. Actually, she's more defined by her fame as a female Encylopedia Brown meets Harriet the Spy, and she's constantly wrestling with whether to lean into it or pretend it never happened.

I cannot describe how much I enjoy the character of Lottie (Charlotte). She's written with at least a neurospicy overtone, if not explicit definition to her character, so many of her tribulations and conundrums seem 1000% real to me. But she's also got a sweetness and a protectiveness that I recognize in many of my favorite introverts, who would absolutely ride-or-die for you even if they're not particularly comfortable behind the wheel.

And yeah, the plot is a little zany, as most small-town mysteries tend to be (at least no one gets murdered for barely any reason; looking at you, every weird mystery thriller ever). But it's fun, well-paced, and splashes among the emotional palette with the deftness of a watercolor artist, feathering from humor to anxiety to dread to joy, all in a sensible wave.

This is not, as the kids my age say, a kissing book. But it's got the love and intrigue that adults who are looking for something a little less smarmy (but no less heartfelt) will enjoy. Though I also highly recommend first reading Charlotte Illes Is Not A Detective – after all, a lady this fine deserves your time and effort.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it.

I liked this one better than the first! It's light and warm hearted as a mystery, and I love the friendships. I'll keep ready Charlotte Iles for sure!

I really liked this book!!! It was mysterious but also light-hearted. I definitely recommend this book!!

I wasn’t able to finish this before the publishing date which sucks because I was so excited to read this.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with an eARC of Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher in exchange for my honest review!

This isn't as strongly enjoyable as I'd like it to be, but it still charms me enough with its Finlay Donovan vibes. We've got a lighthearted and cozy tone to keep things riding along and provide me with some chuckles as Charlotte dives into a mystery-solving mood. The queer rep is great to see here, too. I do wonder if I would have connected more deeply with the characters if I had read the first book, though. But hey, that's all right. I'm still glad I gave this one a try.

Overall, I'm officially rating Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher 3.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars. I'll keep an eye out for more of this series.

I think this book might be funnier than the first book. It has all of the figuring-out-her-adult-life that Charlotte had in the first book, but since it includes the added hijinx of kids, it has extra light heartedness to it.

Former child detective Charlotte "Lottie" Illes is back for more adventures. This time, she's succumbed to her friend Lucy's suggestion that she apply to become a substitute teacher at their old middle school. Lucy has taught there for several years and loves it. Charlotte is less than enthusiastic, but with no other job prospects on the horizon, she decides to give it a go. Once at the school, however, memories of her time there as both a student and renowned child detective come flooding back. Before long, one of the teachers asks for her help. She's been receiving anonymous letters telling her to resign from her teaching position. Charlotte has decided to give up her sleuthing once and for all, yet she can't resist the allure of a new mystery to sink her teeth into. With the help of her best friends Lucy and Gabe (who styles himself as a "Junior detective"), Charlotte activates her detecting abilities and starts questioning suspects and assembling clues. When another person also reveals they've been targeted by anonymous messages, Charlotte really gets behind the process of tracking down the culprit.

The book is another cute and gentle mystery with the dogged Charlotte and her band of buddies. There are plenty of funny moments and lots of LGBTQ+ positivity. The story is intersting also to see the steps this master "junior detective" has taken to solve present and past cases that have stumped those who are older (and supposedly wiser) than Charlotte.

A fun mystery read

I quite enjoyed this book. The vibe of cosy mystery with detective stuff was very fun to read, and I thought the author really managed to keep me guessing with the case all the while entertaining me with the story. I'll admit that, outside of the mystery, what I loved most was the friendship. Charlotte and her friends are absolutely adorable and the queer representation was on point and a big bonus for me. It did feel a little childish at times despite the characters' age, but nothing that prevented me from thoroughly enjoying the book. All in all, it was funny, exciting, mysterious, and very inspiring as well, so a very good read.

I recommend if you like cosy mystery and great friendships.

"Charlotte knew it was coming. She had felt it coming as soon as she got the very first whiff of a mystery."

I actually enjoyed this one more than the first. Charlotte is back with her quirky friends and family. She's also back at her old school as a substitute and finds herself investigating there again, as she did as a child.

The banter in this one is quite good. It's hard to find decent banter outside of romance novels. I also enjoy that these are younger people but this isn't a young adult novel. The school setting is fun, and the mystery is believable.

I like the representation of people of different backgrounds and personalities and find it realistic.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I shared it with my monthly book club, as I did the first one.

The second book in the series, with Charlotte still trying to figure out her life so she takes a job as a substitute teacher which leads her to a new case. Overall a low stakes mystery that errs on the side of cozy.

Formerly a child detective, twenty-five year-old Charlotte Illes is now trying to figure out what she wants to do as an adult. In addition to some detective jobs for a local (very attractive, but of course Charlotte doesn't view her that way...), her friend Lucy has gotten her a job as a substitute teacher. But was does Charlotte know about children? Although, we do get to see flashbacks of Charlotte working on cases in middle school.
Surprisingly, there are just as many mysteries in the school as there were when Charlotte was a kid (so it's a good thing at least one of her detective kits is still hidden around the school.) Of course, these mysteries are somewhat updated, involving bobbleheads and social media. And blackmail- at least that one is recognizable. In this case, threatening letters have been sent to one of the teachers as well as her aunt who is the president of the school board.
I did feel like the ending came a little bit out of nowhere but it was still a fun book and the children weren't just plot moppets, they had actual personalities. I hope we get to see some more of Nia (a budding child detective herself), in future books.

Four stars
This book came out July 23, 2024
Charlotte Illes #2
Follow2 by Charlotte Illes is not a Detective
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

I loved the first book in this series & was super excited when I learned there would be more. I so enjoyed this one! If you haven't read the first book, go do it now!! Charlotte is still trying to find herself & figure out adult life and is starting a substitute teaching job at the school where her best friend, Lucy teaches. Lucy asks her to consider putting on the detective hat (figuratively) again to figure out who is sending threatening letters to a fellow teacher & the teacher's aunt, the president of the local Board of Education. Charlotte is returning to the same middle school where she was student & some of the staff from that time are still around, making Charlotte's efforts to not relive her childhood detective days difficult.

I absolutely love these characters. The friendship between Charlotte, Lucy, & Gabe is real. They don't always agree & they love and accept each other anyway. The students introduced in this books are delightful & I want more of them! Charlotte's journey to accept herself and what she wants in life is wonderful. I love how I feel when I read these books.

The mystery is excellently paced, complex enough to keep you guessing, and just well done. I can't wait to read more of Charlotte's adventures!

Thanks to NetGalley & Kensington for the opportunity to read & review this title. The opinions here are mine alone & freely given.

Calling all fans of Harriet the Spy this book series is for you! This sequel to Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective was just as witty and add an extra layer of having flashbacks to cases she solved in middle school that really made the book stellar.

I thought the character development for Charlotte Illes was done better in this book with her still trying to discover who she is after making it big as a child detective. I enjoyed the relationships that Charlotte has with Gabe and Lucy along with trying to make more friends.

I really hope there will be a sequel to this book since the situations that Charlotte gets herself into is just so hilarious!

Unlike many reviewers, I didn’t enjoy this book by Katie Siegel. Charlotte Illes is a 25-year-old who became well-known as a girl detective when she was younger. Now, years later, she’s trying to become more adult-like and figure out what to do with herself.

I thought the premise sounded interesting but, instead, much of this book was off-putting for me. The characters are flat, unappealing, and childish. The hallmark of the book is supposed to be the humor, but there seemed to be very little of that as well. Charlotte, as a child, was often tolerated instead of reprimanded for her behavior. In my estimation, not a great way to raise a responsible adult.

Moreover, the writing isn’t compelling and I found it bothersome that the author always included the character’s race when introducing them for the first time. (she had long brown hair, white, and big blue eyes). Does the race of the character make a difference in the plot? So many things didn’t add up, including Charlotte’s lack of knowledge about social media – not too believable for someone her age – and the fact that not once did Charlotte and her cohorts ever consider reporting the disturbing and threatening events to the proper authorities.

As I started this book I didn’t realize it’s the second book in a series. But, I didn’t find that to be a detriment. However, I’m not sure I’ll read any more books by this author. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

I have to say I enjoyed this book more than the first one in the series. Charlotte Isles is still determined she is not a detective and in need of a day job she accepts substitute teaching at her old middle school where her best friend Lucy now works. Charlotte is determined to not be her 10 year old child detective self, but she can’t help but be drawn in when Lucy’s friend and co-teacher starts to get threatening letters telling her to quit. I loved that Charlotte worked with her friends no the mystery and then even got to mentor a small group of future detectives. I also loved that Charlotte got to relieve her old middle school and realize that her perspective then may not have been the whole picture and air vents are harder to navigate when you’re 25. The humor in this one was great, and I have to admit that I only got the mystery half right which is always fun for me. I hope this is the second of many books in this series.

Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective
By Katie Siegel
Kensington
July 2024

Review by Cynthia Chow

Even though she’s finally agreed to do unpaid minor investigations for friends and family, 25-year-old Charlotte Illes is still adjusting to life as a former famous Kid Detective. She no longer wants to allow that identity to consume her entire sense of self, but she also hasn’t exactly decided on just what she wants to do with her life. That explains how the ex-mini-Sherlock is convinced by her childhood best friend to become a substitute teacher, as Lucy Ortega loves being a language arts teacher at the same Middle School they once attended together. Charlotte never expected that she would return 13 years later to the place where she was infamous for crawling through ventilation ducts to eavesdrop and solve the mysteries of who ate which teacher’s lunch. While the Frencham Middle School secretary who used to conveniently look away every time Lottie used to ask for office keys has long retired, the same Vice President who issued warning memos regarding the former tween still presides. What has changed are the students themselves, as they are openly queer and seem to embrace an acceptance of themselves that Charlotte and her two besties can only envy. Charlotte doesn’t NOT encourage the middle schoolers who join her for lunch periods to discover the many detective kits she hid around the campus, but it’s she who learns from them about how to track down clues through their social media posts and followings. That comes in handy when Charlotte is drawn into a case involving Lucy’s fellow teacher Kim Romano, who is being blackmailed regarding her former job and whose aunt is threatened to drop out of the Board of Education presidency election. After Kim’s bake sale brownies inadvertently cause an allergic reaction despite her declarations that they were nut-free, Charlotte is drawn into the case to discover who is threatening the middle school teacher’s chance at tenure and her aunt’s school board presidency.

This second in the series is an absolute romp that plays tribute to the very teachers who may have inspired the love of reading. Also remarkable is that Charlotte and her friends discover that in the 13 years since they left, so much has changed for the students…and mostly for the better. Charlotte, along with her childhood friends Gabe and Lucy, have a bond that has them making good-natured jokes that are based on their longtime knowledge and love for one another. As fascinating as Charlotte’s actual investigations are how she is so troubled by her identity as a kid detective. As much as she feels trapped and boxed in by her past, Charlotte also has to admit how good she is an investigator and that she doesn’t need to completely reject her past. Lucy as well has the very relatable challenge of learning to not always need others’ approval, while Gabe learns to not allow past rejections to prevent him from making future connections. These Gen Z’s may be more accepting of their own queerness, but they are still struggling to find their own passions and choice of careers. This trio is absolutely hilarious as they manage to finagle one another into their individual dilemmas, be it Gabe forcing them to take videos chewing disgusting “shareable” gum, Lucy learning to stop being too polite to a clingy ex, or Charlotte when again crawling through vents to eavesdrop on teachers. This is a modern-day mystery for readers who always dreamed of seeing their favorite childhood detectives all grown up and dealing with real-life issues.

A five-star outing for Charlotte Illes. The second book in the series brings back most of the characters from the first time around, but the author seems more confident in writing about them. The story is well-plotted and thoroughly enjoyable. I can't wait to read the third.