This was a fun middle grade quest book. Boarding school books are usually entertaining and this one lived up to that. I liked the characters and the story moved along quickly. It ended on a cliffhanger which makes sense since I now see this was the first in a series. I liked the story enough that the sequel will definitely be on my radar whenever it comes out.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

I have always found children’s and young adult treasure hunt books to be disappointing…until now.

The treasure hunt always seems like a great concept for a kids novel, but it almost never works. Which is why this book was such a delightful surprise. It gets right all of the things that other books in this subgenre seem to get wrong.

I’ll start by saying that this just a terrific friendship story, and that the boarding school atmosphere and sense of place are terrifically well rendered. This made the execution of the actual treasure hunt plot less vital to the enjoyment of the story, yet that was well done anyway.

I love that the clues here are neither nonsensical and impossible to figure out or insultingly obvious. The author did a really good job of setting this up so that kids could play along as they read and that adult readers might also get something out of it.

My kids loved this one, and I did too. We’re all thrilled that the book appears to be getting a sequel.

It's been a difficult time for Megumi, or Meg for short, since she lost her mother. As a result of her father's traveling for work, Meg does not get to spend much time with him. Because of her distaste for Aunt Vivian's house and her slipping grades, her father has decided Meg should transfer to a boarding school. This is Leland Chase Academy also known as Last Chance Academy. A total of 35 students in grades 6-12 attend the school.

One day, strange envelopes appear underneath the bedroom doors of her classmates. The invitation has not been received by everyone at the Academy. Meg is looking forward to this scavenger hunt since it promises a prize that is so valuable to her. In order to prevent her family from falling apart, she will do whatever it takes to win the prize, even if it means losing her friends. To move forward, the students must solve clues left by the Mastermind. In order to solve each clue, Meg realizes that she will need the help of her classmates.

She loves the idea of the scavenger hunt because her mother had done it with her when she was alive. Meg had a slight advantage over her classmates because of this. The Mastermind has such intimate knowledge of each student that it is freakishly scary.

To solve the last clue of the scavenger hunt, all four 7th year students will have to work together. Even after her best friend cast her aside after her mother died, Meg will learn she can trust others and have true friends. It was set up for only one individual to win, but now there were four. To outwit the Mastermind, what would the students do.

A Study in Secrets was an intriguing and fun read! Who doesn't like a treasure hunt in a boarding school with significant stakes set?
Wanting to solve the clues along with the characters, wondering which ones are trustworthy, seeing how little tidbits are leading to the potential of future adventures and stories following these characters, are all things that make this story special. I really enjoyed this one, and if more books in the series will follow, I'll be sure to read them!
I will definitely add it to my K-5 library, and plan to recommend it to kids who enjoy The Liars Society, Spy School, and all things James Ponti as well.

I'm not sure why, but something about this book just seemed 'off' to me. I hate the trope that widowed parents are unable to care for their children and A Study in Secrets plays right into that. Meg was cold and judgmental, and I just didn't click with her at all. And as much as I love gothic fiction, the tone was darker and gloomier than what I usually look for in middle grade.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review this book.

I think this could be a fun book for elementary school/early middle school. When the description said it was like Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, I expected more puzzles to solve, but there really weren’t too many. The puzzles also weren’t really stand alone puzzles that you could solve “outside” of the story.

Overall it was a nice story. Meg is able to find a group of friends that stick together with some drama here and there to keep things interesting. I appreciated that while it seemed like there may be some crushes between the characters, nothing developed further and it currently (as it seems like it is being set up to be a series) doesn’t have any other relationship drama. It was also nice that there were little tidbits to show how all the students of the school care for each other, even though they’re in different grades. One of the RA’s that seems to have a tough exterior seems like she has an interesting backstory that will come out further in future books.

Thank You NetGallley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC!

Honestly really loved the book! There were a few things like Meg was a bit harsh in her judgement, but overall the book was amazing and a fun read. The puzzles will definitely be fun for younger audience to try and solve as the book progresses. The way Meg tries to process her grief in the book was also well done, and shows a natural progression on how she deals with it.

"Only Murders in the Building meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library in this action-packed novel about a girl pulled into a mysterious treasure hunt at her new boarding school.

Ever since her mom passed away, twelve-year-old Megumi "Meg" Mizuno has been spiraling. After too many low grades and cut classes, she's been expelled from school - apparently, everyone else has moved past her grief and expects the same from her. Her dad secures her a spot at the prestigious Leland Chase Academy, a boarding school in the middle-of-nowhere New York, called the Last Chance Academy by its student body. If Meg can't make it work there, she'll be forced to live with her horrible aunt.

At first, Leland Chase seems like an average, if very strict, boarding school, though Meg tentatively warms up to her roommate and some of their classmates. Then, one night, a mysterious envelope appears under her door, inviting Meg and her roommate to participate in a scavenger hunt. The only rules: don't get caught by faculty or staff and no cheating. The grand prize? A luxury stay at a fancy resort in California. And after learning her dad has plans to sell their family home - with all its memories of Mom - Meg knows she has to win the competition and use the trip to convince Dad to stay.

Thanks to her mom, who taught her how to solve ciphers, Meg has a knack for puzzles she uses to get ahead in the hunt. But she quickly learns that her classmates seem to have their own sets of skills keeping them in the competition. And as they get deeper in the game, Meg and her fellow competitors realize the anonymous creator has their own agenda…and LCA isn't quite what it seems."

Oh, what is their agenda!?!

I was super into this one, but the sudden resolution with dad took me out of it a little and took away the stakes for the sequel. That said, I still want to read the rest of the series to find out what is going on. Sure to be a hit with fans of the increasingly popular mystery genre, and who doesn't love a good boarding school story? 8-12.

A girl finds herself on a mysterious treasure hunt at her new boarding school as she solves clues and makes new friends. Megumi "Meg" Mizuno has been spiraling ever since her mother's death, and after the final straw, her father sends her to a fancy boarding school in the middle-of-nowhere New York as a last resort. Megumi is now a student of Leland Chase Academy, and if she can't make it work she'll be forced to live with her terrible aunt. Megumi is determined to turn it around and to make the best of it.... but then finds herself drawn into a treasure hunt when a mysterious envelope appears at her door. Megumi is invited to play the game with her fellow students and the winner gets to stay at a fancy resort in California and the only rule is: don't get caught. Megumi knows she shouldn't play or risk getting in trouble... but she loves solving puzzles, especially since her mother taught her.... and what's one more mystery? I think middle grade readers will have fun with this, while some of the puzzles and clues are easy, it's a fun read overall. Its the first book in a series and I appreciate that the main character is a POC character. Overall I would recommend it for middlegrade readers who love a bit of a puzzle.

Release Date: March 11, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Aladdin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This is a fun mystery by way of scavenger hunt for younger readers! Even I as an adult enjoyed the story over all.
I can see it being a hit for 4th or 5th grader readers as an introduction to academia based novels as well as mystery and adventure type stories. It is on the more simplistic side and at times very repetitive but I think it may be intentional for how younger readers process and hold on to information.
I will say that the clues for the scavenger hunt were overly simplistic when they didn’t have to be.

The book is the first book in a future series and it ends on a cliff hanger but the main story focus was wrapped up. The cliff hanger was perfectly placed to encourage the reader to pick up the next installment.

I think the younger readers will be able to identify with the students in the book and I loved that they appeared imperfect and faced many of the things that today’s kids do as well as challenges with parents, teachers and peers.

The book comes out March 11,2025 and would make a great addition to a classroom or home library.

I am thankful to have gotten an eARC for free from Simon Kids through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system for Middle Grade and children’s books

⭐️ Significant problems and would never recommend to the audience.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea but may have some appeal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ an ok book which I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend but it has some value for young readers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! I would recommend for the age or reading level appropriate for the book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Would recommend highly, especially to school programs as a wide spread reading opportunity.

MG semi-mystery novel set in an expensive and private boarding school for supposedly troubled children. Nicknamed Last Chance Academy, it's not really clear why this school would be the last chance for any of the pupils given nearly all of them are, at most, their second school and appear to have been kicked out of their old schools for mostly benign reasons (failing grades, antisocial behavior that is almost entirely remedied with a two minute conversation, and wanting to write fiction stories instead of prepare to take over the family business as a seventh grader). The story primarily follows Meg and her emotional challenges in the wake of her mother's death, her father's emotional abandonment, and the rejection of her childhood best friend (who is, frankly, the only character anywhere near the level of sociopathic behavior you would expect for a kid going to a school with this level of security). The main mystery isn't fully resolved in the this book, it instead leads into another upcoming volume, but the identity of the mysterious gamemaster is frankly incredibly obvious. This volume is moody and semi-gothic, but some of the narrative suggests the second book in the series may have a different tone.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A Study in Secrets by Debbi Michiko Florence is the first person-POV start of a contemporary middle grade mystery series, Last Chance Academy. Megumi Mizuno’s grades slipped drastically after her mother passed away and her father left her with an aunt who didn’t give her a very loving home. To give Megumi another chance, her dad sends her to the Last Chance Academy or else she will be homeschooled. Megumi’s new school might be the thing that helps her start to move on with her life or it could send her further into her self-isolation.

A major theme is grief and the slow process it takes to move on when you lose a loved one. In Megumi’s case, she lost her mother and then, shortly after her mother’s funeral, her best friend dumped her because she was ‘too depressing to be around.’ I think a lot of people, young and old, can relate to how grief can take a variety of shapes and come about from the loss of any significant relationship as well as responding to grief with refusing to get close to anyone else. Eventually, Megumi does learn to let other people in, particularly Tana, Zane, and Ryan, but it does take a bit.

Megumi’s Japanese heritage is showcased in several different ways. She listens to J-pop and reads manga, has visited Japan, and when her mother was alive, they celebrated Hinamatsuri or Girls’ Day with a treasure hunt. Megumi also knows at least some Japanese given that she can curse in the language, but we don’t know if she’s fluent or if her skills are more in speaking and listening vs reading and writing. Zane is also Japanese-American and we know he knows at least some of the language, but we don’t know what other ways he’s connected to his heritage. There are other characters of color on the page, including Ryan who is of Chinese descent, I believe, and there is Jewish representation with Tana.

While the mystery is quite fun and provides riddles for readers to try to decode, the real star of the show for me was the character relationships. Megumi and Tana hit it off fairly quickly but also have a friendly rivalry due to Tana’s desire to be the best student in their school. What helps keep their relationship fun and interesting is Tana isn’t malicious, but it’s obvious she is really competitive and the potential relationship between Tana and Ryan and Megumi and Ryan. Ryan flirts with both girls, though Tana herself admits that Ryan flirts with everyone, and I’m not expecting anything to pan out in the next book as middle grade often takes a while for romances to grow, but I’m all of Tana and Ryan getting together and Zane and Megumi dating. There was something I really liked in Zane and Megumi’s dynamic that was more shippable to me, but I’d happily read the next books even if romance never happens at all.

I would recommend this to fans of middle grade mysteries, young books looking for novels with themes of grief and moving on, and parents, educators, and guardians looking for books with diverse casts of characters

Losing a parent and then being sent to boarding school could cause a lot of issues for Meg, but she overcomes them via a treasure hunt game with her classmates. Readers will enjoy the suspense and realistic nature of the story.