Just So Stories

• Publisher: Riveted Press (April 16, 2025)
• Distributed by Simon & Schuster
• ISBN13: 9781763526068
• RRP: AU$17.99 / NZ$ 19.99

For someone with a mild [understatement] addiction to cozy murder mysteries, this new Rachel Jackson Solve it Your Way was right up my alley. Not that I didn’t also enjoy the first in the series Escape from Cuttlefish Cove, but this one had the perfect setting and characters for my taste.

In this new one, the reader is the world’s greatest detective and has been invited to Marigold Manor at the behest of, purportedly, Captain Marigold for the occasion of his daughter’s special event. Which could make sense unless you don’t actually know either one and are suddenly plunged into a whirlwind of codes, secrets, locked doors, whispered conversations and hidden clues – not to mention, some rather sinister cats.

There are 32 different possible paths, along with Case Files to track the reader’s progress. This reader failed miserably (despite a lifetime of reading mysteries!) and I am, to all intents and purposes, trapped forever in Marigold Manor with no means of exit. I guess I can be thankful at least for not being turned into a cat!

All in all, it’s a lot of fun for MG readers and, particularly, for those gamers you might be trying to coax into picking up a book. If you haven’t got onto this series yet, you need to. Rachel Jackson’s life experience as an intelligence analyst has plunged her into a highly successful way to engage with young readers, who will also be able to hone their problem-solving skills – as well having fun.

We all know there’s always an eager readership for the solve-your-own-adventure books, and these are really top tier examples. I’d highly recommend for your kiddos from around year 4 with a 5 🕵️🕵️🕵️🕵️🕵️ rating.