Alice-Miranda Holds the Key by Jacqueline Harvey

Title: Alice-Miranda Holds the Key

Author: Jacqueline Harvey

Genre: Fiction/Mystery

Publisher: Puffin

Published: 17^th September 2019/30^th January 2017

Format: Paperback

Pages: 384

Price: $16.99

Synopsis: Alice-Miranda is home for the holidays!

In a startling turn of events, Alice-Miranda unexpectedly finishes the school term earlier than planned. Holidays should be a time for fun and a chance to catch up with friends, but it seems all is not well at Highton Hall. There is trouble afoot with the family business and it’s got everyone worried. Scores of people have been struck down with a mystery illness, and it looks as if Kennington’s may be responsible.

Meanwhile, there is an annual garden party to prepare for. And the whole village is invited! Throw in an intriguing neighbour, a runaway and a swindler and it may be the perfect recipe for disaster. Alice-Miranda will have to trust her intuition to find the key to unlock this mystery.

~*~

After a riding accident, Alice-Miranda heads home early, before the end of term. But instead of a fun holiday, she’s caught up in trouble at Highton Hall. People are getting sick from food from Kennington’s, and with so many people getting sick, there’s something awful going on. Then there’s the new neighbours, Lord and Lady Tavistock, a stranger hiding on the property, and a garden party to prepare for.

With lots to investigate while she gets better, Alice-Miranda is determined to find out what is going on with everything. It’s a classic Alice-Miranda mystery, this time taking time away from the school to inject a new zest into the series, and now I only have three books left to finish the series, so I am almost there!

This one is lots of fun, and we meet a new character, Chessie, whose presence and family might seem innocuous. Nothing ever is in these books, they’re always used effectively by the end of the novel, and this one and the characters are no exception.

I have noticed that Jacqueline Harvey has a great love for big names and names that stand out – like the girl Chessie wants to get away from, Maddie, or Madagascar. Often these names suit the characters so well, even when they may not appear that often. The heart of this book is of course Alice-Miranda and her recovery and investigation as she works out what is really going on and who is behind it all.

The fifteenth book is showing Alice-Miranda growing up as well, which allows readers to grow with her, and I have loved seeing how things play out in this book. Even though Alice-Miranda is somewhat limited in this book, she still manages to get involved and work on solving the case. It’s cleverly done, involving friends and family. Many of these characters come in and out of the series, and it’s always fun to see them return.

The fifteenth book is centred around Highton Hall and all its lavishness and joy, everything that makes it special is on show. Everything comes together nicely, but not without any spills that could threaten to destroy Alice-Miranda and her family, but they have great support. It’s a mystery that will take the entire community to solve, as they come together and work hard to make sure Hugh’s business can be saved. Everything is drip-fed slowly throughout the book, laid out well and then comes together well at the end.

Another great Alice-Miranda book!