by Nyla Farook
Agency: Tariq Ultrasecret Supersleuth Centre (TUSC).
Agents: Ani a.k.a. Super-sleuth; Riri a.k.a Sleuth-in-Training (SIT); backup SITs a.k.a. best pals, Heln and LaShawn.
Location: West Yorkshire
Case: murder of local café owner, Mrs Kostas or, should that be, Mrs Dimas?
TUSC’s Suspects: a great, great many.
Police’s Prime Suspect: Ani’s dad.
Budding detective, Ani, lives with her Dad in the not-so-sleepy little town of Castlewick. Secondary school looms and she’s looking forward to a lively summer of mystery-busting and super-sleuthing. But her plans look likely to be foiled with the arrival of her Californian-based mum and her twin, Riri. They’ve barely spoken these last 3 years, particularly since the Great Twin War, and, worst of all, Riri will be sharing her room. But before mutual hostilities can reach a total standoff, the twins are drawn in to a dastardly plot with villains, aliases, cross-continental art theft, lost loves and dual identities.
The first in a new Tariq Twin Mystery series, from a Bradford-based author, and we’re already looking forward to the follow up. The mystery plot is satisfyingly intricate with cliff-hangers, red herrings, dead ends and twisty turny narrative loops. The narrative is broken up with snappy TUSC Profiles, timelines, case notes and articles. Ani and Riri take the chapters in turn, their voices fresh, finely tuned and soundly differentiated from each other. Along the way, we learn that Ani has ADHD and twin Riri has OCD as well as Autism- and the ways in which they see and process information is detailed with a light touch.
What struck our reviewers most of all is that, in amongst a thrilling whodunit shot through with heaps of comic moments (usually via Ani’s on point witticisms), Farook deftly works in 'weightier' subjects such as grief, how people process loss differently and family break up alongside wider social issues such as the treatment of people of colour by the criminal justice system.
“I really enjoyed this book…fast paced narrative…I loved the way the pace of the script changed to reflect their particular neurodiversity- very clever!...the author embraces diversity in an understated way which feels natural…100% yes!’ (Sylvia, Children's Social Work Director, Letterbox Library reviewer). Muslim Pakistani leads. Single parent families. Secondary bi/queer character (Derek). Age 8-12, Paperback 327pp
Themes: Diverse Families Themes: Disabilities