The Clueless Guide to Solving a Mystery is a fun, fast-paced middle-grade mystery perfect for kids who want to try to crack the case but don’t want to read about murder. Claudia is staying with her grandparents in their retirement village when the electrical gates lock, trapping everyone inside. At the same time, mysterious notes containing threatening messages are being passed among the residents.

Claudia sees an opportunity to befriend the two coolest kids in school, Yasmin and Zayn, enlisting them and another kid, Orphi, to help solve the mystery. Together, the four kids embark on a quest to uncover the truth behind what is going on at Boonside Heights Retirement Home. Over the course of their investigation, the reader gets to know the eccentric community of elderly residents in the home.

While the mystery is fun, I think the real heart of this story is watching Claudia slowly uncover the stories of the people around her. Through her detective work, Claudia and the reader get to know the intricacies of each character, and it becomes clear that with every one of them there is more than meets the eye. This book is perfect for ages 8+.