Review by Imstaci-1 -- Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a S...

[Imstaci-1]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat" by R.F. Kristi.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat is the seventh installment in the Inca Book Series. It is a tale of Inca, the Siberian cat detective and her family. This time, the family (human and fury alike), has gone on vacation to Sri Lanka. While there, they realise that there is a case to be solved on this beautiful island. Some valuable ancient artifacts have gone missing from the local museum. Solo, a family friend and renowned detective has, together with his detective dog Terrance, been called in to investigate the theft. Inca’s detective itch will not allow her to sit back and wait while Solo solves the case. Immediately, she pounces and takes charge of the case. With the help of her team of detective animals and the new friends they make in Sri Lanka (Meena the elephant and Rani the turtle), she works towards solving the mystery.

R. F. Kristi created a very informative plot. I could tell someone about Sri Lanka like I have been there before. The description of for instance, the tea plantations makes it very real. Over and above the description of the island, the author added a bit of Sri Lankan wedding culture. Couples ride on the backs of elephants on their wedding day. Imagine that!

What I liked most about the book is that although it is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone book. This will help those who are unable to acquire the complete series in chronological order to enjoy the book without being too confused by the characters. The book presented an introduction of the characters and it provided the family tree which aids readers who are not familiar with the series to understand the characters. Another aspect I absolutely loved was the audio book that I sampled. The narrator did an exceptional job. Her voice matched the voice I believe to be Inca’s. Stephanie Quinn’s tone was so flawless and it blew me away!

I would recommend this book to ages 7 to 12. The colourful and lively illustrations will surely be a big hit with children as the images in the book truly bring the story to life. I must however advise that if parents are planning on reading this to their children, then they need to read it alone first and be comfortable with the questions that they might be asked. For instance, what a sarong is or what UNESCO stands for. I think it would therefore be a great teaching aid that could help enhance a child’s vocabulary and knowledge.

As an adult, perhaps I am being overly critical. The way that the case was solved lacked creativity. This was easy for me to spot because the rest of the book was very imaginative. I felt that the story’s conclusion was rushed. This is what I disliked most about the book. Unfortunately, this was so profound that I have to remove a star and rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Further to this, I spotted a few typos and inconsistencies in the book. However, I still think that this book was professionally edited. There is absolutely no profanity in the book hence it is suitable for all people of all ages. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

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Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Olabode Joshua]

Hey Imstaci,
This is a lovely review.
There are some words that might be hard for kids to comprehend in the book. A good book regardless.