The Fairfleet Affair (A&A Detective Agency #1)

Indian American Asha Singh and her best friend Alex Foster, who reads as white, are the 12-year-old founders of A&A Detective Agency, which they run out of Alex’s backyard tree house. Though they haven’t yet had an official opportunity to exercise their investigative skills, the pair are dedicated sleuths who believe that their knowledge of their town’s history—and their rapport with Dr. Alistair Fairfleet, one of Northbrook’s most prominent citizens—is the key to legitimizing their agency. When Dr. Fairfleet goes missing on the day of a solar eclipse, Asha and Alex, along with numerous museum directors, receive cryptic messages containing clues about what happened to him. As the tweens decode the messages, many of which include quotes from King Lear, they become embroiled in a wild treasure hunt through the various museums, a local performing arts center, and Dr. Fairfleet’s home. But what starts as a missing persons case devolves into something even more nefarious involving blackmail, forgery, and smuggling. Despite thinly characterized protagonists, the intricate plot—jam-packed with brain teasers, convoluted twists, and red herrings—keeps readers in suspense while neatly paving the way for a sequel in Saxton’s series-starting debut. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)