Review of Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula

Susan Kihleng · Post by **Susan Kihleng** » 21 Oct 2021, 01:42

[Following is a volunteer review of "Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula" by R.F. Kristi.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Cat Detectives In the Korean Peninsula by R.F. Kristi is a charming book for children about a family of cats, a dog, and their humans, Missy and Solo. Inca, Fromage, Cara, and Monk are cats that have formed a unique cat detective agency, with occasional assistance from Terrance, a brave detective dog, and Charlotte, an exceedingly intelligent hamster. Inca, who has dubbed herself as Queen of the Kitties, serves as the head of the Cat Detectives and narrates the story for us.

The story begins as the Cat Detectives, their owners, and other pets meet to discuss something exciting. Missy, a professional chef, has been selected as a judge at a patisserie competition in South Korea. She will also be presenting her newest cheese creation to the chefs in attendance. The exciting news? They are all going to Korea! The significance of this competition is that chefs from both South and North Korea will be participating. It’s a chance to bring everyone together. But the Cat Detectives learn they have their work cut out for them. A jealous and sneaky chef has plans to sabotage Missy’s cheese presentation, destroying her reputation and entire career. Not only that, but the pets all learn that their quiet and peaceful Korean host, Ye-Jun, has been separated for quite some time from his sister, Ji, and her cat, Bo-Mi, who have been living in North Korea with no way to return. Can the Cat Detectives come up with a plan to reunite the family? And can they save Missy’s career and cheese presentation?

I love how the story takes the reader into Korea and introduces so many unique aspects of this beautiful and rich culture. The author’s beautifully descriptive narrative makes it easy for young readers to imagine they are there and seeing these sights for themselves. I particularly enjoyed the description of animals unique to Korea. Overall, the author does an excellent job of instilling in the reader interest and admiration for this beautiful country and culture. In addition to the information on Korea, readers also learn about culinary arts along the way as Inca’s human is a chef.

The only thing I disliked about this book was a formatting issue. There were some sections where the words were divided or printed over each other, making it difficult to read at times. I am not taking away a star for this, however, as it is quite possibly an issue with my eReader. Otherwise, I found this to be a delightful book that I would recommend to readers, both young and old alike.

Without a doubt, I give Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula four out of four stars. I found the story to be delightful and charming. The book was professionally edited with very few errors. While it was clearly written as a children’s book, I think adults would also enjoy this endearing story. I would recommend it to anyone fond of stories about animals and travel. This was the eighth book in the Inca Cat Detective Series but serves well as a standalone children’s book.

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Cat Detectives in the Korean Peninsula
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