March 17, 2026 by Aladdin
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus
Meg and her friends Tana, Ryan, and Zane are back after their adventures in A Study in Secrets, and are going on the trip that Meg won in the scavenger hunt. At the last minute, her father can't chaperone, and her Aunt Vivian (who is always very negative) goes instead. The group ends up at Moon Manor, a fabulous house in California, and proceed to spend nearly half the book solving mysteries and seeing the sights like the Crystal Cave, Balboa Fun Zone and the Japanese American National Museum. There's a bit of a secret about who orchestrated this trip, but it's soon found out, and before long the kids are back at school. The Leland Chase Academy is having financial troubles, and to solve this issue, the director is having all of the students do a showcase project to attract investors to the school. Meg doesn't know what to do, but working with some teachers, she decides to plan a walking trail. She won't have to actually build it, just come up with the plans. It's hard to concentrate on this when she needs to find the identity of the Mastermind, especially since he has threatened to end the showcase, which would lead to the closure of the school and Meg's loss of her friends. It's likely that the culprit is Charles Chase, the descendant of the founder of the school and also the boyfriend of a teacher, Miss Jillian. There seems to be a Chase treasure that could help save the school, but Meg's research into this is hindered by the necessity of keeping things secret from her friends. While everything works out, the book ends with a teaser for another possible mystery for the group to solve.
Strengths: Boarding school tales are always fun, and it was interesting to see Meg and her friends as they become more acquainted with each other. The virtual vacation in California was rather fun, and Florence (who was raised there) has an obvious fondness for the location. There are a lot of clues to follow, and a serious issue to address about the school. Add in a bit of friend drama, as well as a cat, and this will be a winner with readers who like clue oriented mysteries and scavenger hunts.
Weaknesses: I didn't like the way that the Mastermind threatened Meg in a rather serious way and the showcase didn't seem like enough to save a school.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Yee's The Misfits or Gerber's The Liar's Society. Florence's This is How I Roll and Sweet and Sour are wildly popular in my library, and since romance books have become more popular, I'd love to see her write a few more like these.
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