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

Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat is the seventh book of The Inca Book Series written by R.F. Kristi. It is a work of fiction accompanied by illustrations by Jorge Valle and edited by Tim Aucoin.

Inca is an inquisitive kitty who was accompanying her human to a vacation in Sri Lanka. In tow were her siblings Fromage and Cara, together with Charlotte, their hamster friend. As they enjoyed themselves on the island, they learn of some stolen antiques from the main museum in Colombo. Inca's nose went on full alert from this moment.

As Inca and Company made friends on the island, they stumbled upon information that would prove valuable to the case. By this time, Terrance the dog and his master, Solo, had arrived from London to help with the investigation. Would they find the stolen artefacts to finally solve the case?

For a book written for young readers, it is well put together. I like the fact that the illustrations are vibrant and friendly to the eyes, which is good for kids to help engage with the story. As a young person I never liked books without pictures, I think many kids nowadays probably prefer the same. I think it also helps them learn about new animals that Inca and the rest befriend. The exotic locations named are a plus, they compel the reader to learn of new places and popular sites to see when they grow up. In this book, the investigation story is laid back with an emphasis on fun and adventure, which I assume young people would really enjoy.

I would recommend this book to young people who like animals and don't mind letting their imaginations go beyond the realistic boundaries of nature. I think it would also be great for oral reading exercises in classrooms. The main characters in the book are introduced right from the start, so the children won't have to struggle with following them through Inca's memoir. It is also a good resource to subtly encourage young people to keep a journal that helps them remember important events and things in their lives. Some kids might pick after Inca's habit if she proves to be a heroine in their eyes. There are one or two spelling errors in the book, but I don't think they interfere with the joy of reading it. I rate the book with 4 out of 4 stars since I can't give something like 3.5 due to the errors yet the editing itself is not sloppy.

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Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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The fact that the main characters in this book are cats seems like something that would attract children to it. When I was a child I'd also have wanted to read a story about such an intelligent detective cat.