The Chronicles of the Eggcelent Detective Agency Continue [Review]

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Name: The Egghead Detective Agency Volume 2
Author: Pika Nani
Illustrator: Jemma Jose
Publisher: Puffin; Penguin Random House India
Pages: 196 pages
Type: Paperback
Recommended Age: 7-10 years (6 year old advanced readers will also enjoy)

Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot—names that can make strangers into friends and spark debates that turn friends into enemies. Pika Nani clearly understands the stakes, which is probably why her books have Shrilok Homeless in Mumbai and the ghost of Poirot in the Egghead Agency, set in Bengaluru.

And guess what? She’s back with the second installment! Because when it’s this good, more is never too much! For those who haven’t yet ventured into Pika Nani’s world (first of all, how is that even possible? Fun mysteries, people! Get on it!), the Egghead Agency is a crime-fighting duo run by two sisters—Ant (Antara), who’s 8, and Tam (Tamara), who’s 10. Oh, and they’ve got a secret weapon: Egghead, the ghost of none other than Hercule Poirot himself, who comes to his armchair whenever he’s beckoned.

Now, you might be wondering, how on earth did the ghost of Poirot end up in Bengaluru? Well, it’s all thanks to an armchair. Yes, the girls are now the proud owners of Poirot’s old armchair, and when they summon him, he shows up, bringing along all the wit and wisdom you’d expect—except it’s not the little grey cells he’s known for, but something more like a little ant-sized buddhi.

The second installment has 5 short stories with a bunch of clues that the kids can solve along. The mysteries are quite intriguing too. A dinosaur dug out from the backyard of an apartment in Bangalore – where did that come from? Someone trying to sabotage their apartment’s chances of winning the model apartment contest – who would do that? And why? Someone is stealing books from a bookshop. Why would they do that? Is there another flat in the apartment that’s haunted? A marathon runner is missing. Where is she? All these questions, are what makes the casebook of the egghead detective agency. At times the text got a litttle heavy, but then it would be back—with jokes, puns, activities, fights… And most importantly, we, the readers get to be part of the story too with SIY (solve it yourself clues). And these clues are quite fun, sharp and just right for the 7-10 year olds this book is for.

So, there you have it! A ghostly Poirot, an armchair with attitude, and two sisters who can solve crimes faster than you can say “ant like buddhi.” It would have been so funny if Poirot got into character and started teaching the two little girls how to groom a moustache. Or try and pat Ant’s hair into perfect symmetry. But its plenty funny still.

And if you happen to find a haunted armchair on sale, let me know. I wouldn’t mind beckoning the detective too.

In case you haven’t read the first volume – it’s been reviewed right here!

If you enjoyed this review and wish to solve some mysteries you should order the book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),

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Disclaimer: Mandira is part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received this book as a review copy from the publisher via kbc. She is the author of the award winning book Children of the Hidden Land. Her new release Muniya’s Quest for middle graders is getting rave reviews!