The Night in Question by Kathleen Glasgow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Night in Question is the second book in The Agathas series by author duo, Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson.
I loved the first book, which was a great start to a YA Mystery series, named because the main characters are such big fans of Dame Agatha Christie. How fun is that!?
Set in Castle Cove, our protagonists are high school girls, Alice and Iris. Initially, they seem like opposites, but become close friends after Iris becomes Alice’s tutor and they’re thrust together into the midst of a perplexing mystery.
These two make quite the detective duo. I just love their friendship. Iris brings with her a lovable group of misfits, who embrace former it-girl, Alice, into their ranks.
Even though Alice and Iris are the stars of the show, the other members of the friend group also become quite involved in their cases, helping where they can.
The mystery in this installment begins at a school dance at the infamous local mansion, Levy Castle. It’s there that a fellow classmate is violently attacked in a secluded room upstairs, far away from the school-sanctioned activity.
Another girl in their class is accused of the crime, but Iris and Alice believe she’s innocent. Determined not to let the real criminal get away, the girls haul out the ole’ murder-board and get to work.
I had a lot of fun with this story. First, I will say, I was a little worried about it going in, that I wouldn’t remember the characters and everything that went on in the first book.
I guess this would be a good place to note that there is a mystery from the past that sort of acts like a subplot to the main mysteries of these stories.
The historical mystery involves a local film star from the 1940s, who actually lived in Levy Castle. It is discussed a bit in the first book and is explored much more in depth here.
I read the first book so long ago, I felt like I may not remember important details. I’m happy to report though, that I had no cause to worry. These authors did a great job providing subtle recaps in relation to that first book.
I really enjoyed how quickly this kicked off as well. Within the first 10-15%, we were already setting up a solid locked-room mystery.
It was funny, the girl who ends up getting accused of the crime, she’s a really rich girl and her Dad is like an important businessman. Alice and Iris go to their house, to offer their help in clearing the girl’s name, and the Dad is all like, who are you? What qualifies you to help my daughter?
He totally underestimated the girl power of our dynamic duo and I was just waiting for him to eat his words. The greatest thing about Alice and Iris is their determination. They go above and beyond to get to the truth; even if it puts them at personal risk.
This mystery got fairly complicated, but it was plotted so well. The used of mixed media added to my engagement level with the story. I always love that.
I also really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know this cast of characters better. It’s clear from the end of this that there is going to be another book in the series; so exciting!
Agatha Christie fans unite!!!
I’m not sure if the Spice Girls are Christie fans, but I feel like they most likely are. Girl power and all that. That’s the exact vibes of this series.
If you love a solid YA Mystery, or Mysteries in general, I would absolutely recommend this series. It’s fast-paced, well-plotted and a ton of fun.
Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I’m really looking forward to continuing on with this series and as silly as it may sound, cannot wait to see what the cover looks like!!