Alasdair Beckett-King

Reviewed on 9th September 2026

ABK's second Montgomery Bonbon mystery sees the mysterious detective on holiday with her grandfather, visiting the unusual Odde Island where it turns out, in classic mystery fashion, there's been a murder.

The mystery is solid, with a range of suspects, and lots of the classic elements that a younger reader would be seeing for the first time. The characters are great, with real personality, turned up to eleven, and lots of fun to be had.

There's jokes aplenty and some very funny choices of simile and phrasing to entertain child and adult readers alike.

It just lacked some of the magic of the first novel though - it wasn't quite as compelling to read, and I can't quite put my finger on why.

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Reviewed on 28th October 2023

ABK’s murder mystery for children hits the perfect tone. Not too grisly, but very funny.

The plot is solid, and pitched at an ideal level for a young reader to engage and follow as well as pick up on some of the clues just before the characters.

The main character is compelling, interesting, and authentic in a way they sometimes aren’t.

The narrative is incredibly funny with a joke in seemingly every second sentence. This is where ABK shines in all his output. And there are some jokes for the grown-ups too.

All-round an excellent choice, and for me an ideal palette cleanser after a really long epic read.

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