December 15, 2016
Following Absolutely Truly (2014), this second Pumpkin Falls Mystery follows middle schooler and gumshoe Truly Lovejoy as she tackle mysteries surrounding a local feud and a family secret. Adjusting to life in Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire, 6-foot-tall, white Truly's looking forward to celebrating her 13th birthday with her visiting cousin, Mackenzie, during Maple Madness, a popular tourist event highlighting the local maple sugaring season. When sap lines are sabotaged at two rival maple sugar businesses, locals quickly take sides, prompting Truly to activate the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes as they surreptitiously set up video surveillance in the sugaring bush. Meanwhile, Truly's discovery of a hidden diary belonging to her ancestor triggers intriguing historical investigations into whether the Lovejoy house served as an Underground Railroad station during the Civil War. In her down-to-earth, vulnerable, unassuming voice, Truly reveals her love of swimming and bird-watching, her growing crush on a classmate, her unfounded jealousy of Mackenzie, and her irritation with her interfering younger sister. Historical subtext about the Underground Railroad and the New Hampshire setting add special dimensions to this rural mystery. Truly's fans cheer the return of the likable sleuth in this family-oriented mystery in which past and present collide. (Mystery. 8-12)
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February 1, 2017
Gr 4-8-Pumpkin Falls, NH, is a long way from Austin, TX, but it is the place that Truly Lovejoy and her family now call home. It's where her dad's family is from, and when her father was injured in the war in Afghanistan, it's where they returned to be part of the family business, Lovejoy's Books. Mackenzie, Truly's cousin, is visiting from Texas and wants Truly to show her around the town. At this time of year, the biggest thing going on is the Maple Fest. The syrup is flowing, and the town is beset by tourists eager to soak up the charm of quaint Pumpkin Falls. However, someone is sabotaging the maple tree taps, and tensions are rising as people start suspecting one another. The protagonist and her friends resurrect Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes, which originated in Absolutely Truly, in order to investigate. In the meantime Truly and Mackenzie unearth another mystery: a diary left behind by the protagonist's ancestor, the original Truly. As the kids search for the story behind the diary, they begin to wonder if it ties into anything that is currently going on in Pumpkin Falls. Fans of the first book will not be disappointed in this mystery, while new readers will fall in love with Truly and her family as they cope with all the excitement and mystery in Pumpkin Falls. VERDICT A well-written and engaging light mystery. Recommended for most school and public library middle grade collections.-Laura Fields Eason, Parker Bennett Curry Elementary School, Bowling Green, KY
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2017
Truly Lovejoy (Absolutely Truly) has a memorable spring break: she turns thirteen, receives her first kiss, her best friend visits, and the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes solve two more mysteries (one Civil Warrelated, the other involving stolen tree sap). Truly may be reluctantly adjusting to her new life in New Hampshire, but readers will be captivated by the idyllic town and its unconventional inhabitants.
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)