There are few books that I read a page or two and feel like I cannot go on. I usually say, okay, it’s slow right now, but it’ll pick up, and it does. However, Pi Squad Mysteries #1 Sabotage at Casa Grande Springs by DD Sterner (cover design by Alyssa Tora Aman) was not one of those books. However (again), I kept reading. And my eight or nine year old brain said, “You would have enjoyed this as a kid.” Just not your adult self.
You see, this book is meant for the six to nine (young 10) crowd, not my many decades. It is a mystery in the classic sense (think Encyclopedia Brown, young Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys, or a younger (and less goofy) Scooby Gang). We have three friends (the twins and their buddy since third grade) and their trusty pup (who has an inner monologue that thankfully is not voiced out loud). They are trying to be detectives and find out who is trying to sabotage their grandfather’s new living center. Weird nurses, cleaning women, security guards and more are all suspects. I am less than half way through things and realized no surprises yet.
Things are set in the Everglades and surrounding area, so not a traditional location, but not unheard of. And so far, nothing is over the top, or bad, or scary, just a typical pre-teen mystery. I think there might be an environmental element (it is the Everglades and they are building near them) and animal rights (there are alligators which are endanger). I am not loving or hating it. I think I might not finish it, but then again, why not? It is just a nice, cozy read that isn’t wow or unwow. Due in late February 2025 if you find a copy (I have the pleasure of an online reader copy), I’m curious to know what you think.