Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters: The Bother with the Bonkillyknock Beast by Karen Foxlee

Title: Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters: The Bother with the Bonkillyknock Beast

Author: Karen Foxlee

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Allen and Unwin

Published: 3^rd January 2024

Format: Paperback

Pages: 288

Price: $15.99

Synopsis: Miss Mary-Kate Martin travels the globe with her family helping solve monstrous problems in this fun fantasy adventure from the multi-award-winning author of Dragon Skin and Lenny’s Book of Everything.

‘Funny and fast-paced. A thrilling combination of courage, kindness and a cleverness of the heart.’ Anna Fienberg, bestselling co-author of Tashi

Mary-Kate and her granny are going to stay at a very quiet castle near a very quiet Loch in the Scottish village of Bonkillyknock. The perfect destination for reading beside fireplaces, going for long walks in galoshes and drinking cups of tea with Granny’s old friends. At least, that’s what Mary-Kate thinks.

However, this is no ordinary reunion – it’s a World Society of Monster Hunters’ conference. So, when an ear-shattering howl interrupts the convention, Mary-Kate isn’t too anxious. After all, the experts are on hand to investigate.

But when the castle kitchen is turned upside-down and the experts suspect the usually secretive Loch Morgavie monster, Mary-Kate isn’t sure the clues add up. Could there be some other kind of beastly problem bothering Bonkillyknock Castle? 

Miss Mary-Kate Martin might only be a beginner, but she’s determined to get to the end of this monstrous mystery in the third exciting instalment in the Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters series.

Longlisted, Best Designed Children’s Series, Australian Book Design Awards, 2023, AU

~*~

Mary-Kate is back – and this time, she is on her way to a castle in Scotland with her Granny near a quiet loch in a quiet village – plenty of time for reading, walks and cups of tea – and no monsters! But then, this is Mary-Kate Martin after all, and nothing ever goes smoothly – at least not recently with all the monsters she’s encountered. And now, she is on her way to a World Society of Monster Hunter’s conference. Things should be safe with all the experience around Mary-Kate, Millicent and Simon, who are there to learn about the society and monster hunting. And yet…the kitchen has been destroyed, and at first, the experts think the howl has come from the Loch Morgavie monster, who is usually quiet and secretive. And yet, as Mary-Kate and her new friends find glowing green fur and other clues, things are not quite adding up – is there another monster at the castle?

The intrepid trio of novice monster hunters is thrust into an investigation – to find out about the curse of Bonkillyknock Castle, the MacMerry family, and the rumours of an ancient fairy hound nearby and from years past linked to an old family secret. Yet as Mary-Kate and her new friends work to find out what is really going on so they can help the Bonkillyknock Beast, someone is determined to stop them. The mystery needs to be solved though. And of course, it will be up to Mary-Kate, who works through her anxiety to find a way to work out what is going on with her new friends. Even as something sinister bubbles along throughout the novel, with several misleads – any good mystery is bound to have them, Mary-Kate is determined to find out what is going on – as long as it’s not too stressful, of course. In this series, Mary-Kate’s anxiety is a part of her, and has been a presence in each book. Now that we are into the third book, we’re getting to know the characters more, and little things from the first two books are starting to come together, illustrating the interconnectedness of this series.

I find that the repetition of things – what Mary-Kate likes, what she carries in her backpack, her favourite pens and notebooks – to be useful, as it reiterates how she copes with her anxiety and uncertainty, and I think this is how many people of all ages might cope with the unknown or anxiety. This makes Mary-Kate a relatable character, and as she goes about her adventures, she is also constantly learning, and trying to find ways to be brave as she embarks on her destiny as a monster hunter like her mother and grandmother. Nothing ever goes to plan anyway, despite Mary-Kate’s careful planning, and her family’s gentle attempts to encourage her to get involved with things she’s never tried before. Mary-Kate’s mystery this time around is lots of fun, and I loved the way she worked with Simon and Millicent, and the way Millicent accepted her as she was – no questions asked. It showed that friendship is powerful, and I liked the way they worked together.

The way the story was set out allowed the mystery to unfold effectively, with good pacing throughout, where each event happened when it needed to happen. I also liked that it showed that not everything was as it seemed with hidden motives and secrets that Mary-Kate had to work out – and she had help from her friends. I liked the way Mary-Kate always tried to bring calmness and order to what was going on – and in the end, she always knew what she had to do to ensure she reached her goals – and that is what I like about Mary-Kate. She finds ways to keep order in her life even when it feels like things are falling apart or not going to plan – and that is what life is about. Finding ways to make the unexpected work, and Mary-Kate does this well in her latest outing with the Bonkillyknock Beast in Scotland. As each book takes us to a different place and contends with a different culture and myth, I feel like there is always something new to learn with Mary-Kate, and I am looking forward to book four.