If you loved the first book, you’re going to love this one. If you didn’t love the first book, I hate to be the one to tell you this (lol no I don’t) but your opinion is wrong.

Book two is so wonderful because we already know and love the three main characters and starting to read this story was like getting together with friends I haven’t seen in a long time. And then there’s new characters introduced and omg some of them are just so so so delightful - specifically a group of Lucy’s students but I can’t say more because no spoilers.

Prepare yourself for some fun, some feels, some nostalgia, and maybe even some well-deserved childhood regression with this book! 💚

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

This novel is the second in Siegel’s series featuring former child detective Charlotte Iles. It can be read as a standalone work, despite being a sequel; any important points needed from the first book are provided.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one didn’t engage me as much. I think it was the school setting. I found it odd how easily someone with no formal educational training was able to become a substitute teacher (and a long term one at that). I appreciated what was being done overall in terms of plot, but that weirdness of set up stuck out to me pretty much throughout the book.

All that said, the characters are as engaging as in the previous book, and the examination of queer culture in schools well-done. I also enjoyed seeing how Charlotte interacted with those who knew her when she was a child detective and those who have only heard of her legacy. The mystery was also consistently interesting, which kept me reading.