[review] Saffron Street: Island Danger by Sherrill Joseph

Saffron Street: Island Danger is the fourth book in The Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries by Sherrill Joseph, a series written for readers aged 9-14.

Title: Saffron Street: Island Danger
Author: Sherrill Joseph
Series: Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries #4
First Published: October 11, 2022
Publisher: Quince Street Press
Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery
Acquired: from the author

*** Thank you to the author, Sherrill Joseph, for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***

A Tahitian black pearl necklace, missing for over eighty years, takes the thirteen-year-old Botanic Hill detectives—Lanny, Lexi, Moki, and Rani—from California to O‛ahu in one of the squad’s most baffling cases yet!

The teens’ famous elderly neighbor Mr. Itsuki Yamada hires them to find his family’s valuable heirloom necklace. Soon, they become embroiled in a complex mystery wrapped around the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, World War II Japanese internment camps, an international surfing competition, sea caves, kidnappings, more thefts, an island cult inspired by a Japanese legend, and strange goings on in an abandoned pineapple shack.

Can the detectives prevent more crimes, avoid injury, and locate Mr. Yamada’s pearl necklace before it’s too late? Time matters—even in laid-back Hawai‘i!

A wonderful group of young detectives

I had been eyeing the Botanic Hill Detective series for awhile now – the covers are always so striking and it really reminds me of my childhood days, reading Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. So when I had the opportunity to read the upcoming release, Saffron Street: Island Danger, I jumped right in.

What made this book even more inviting for me is that the adventure is set in Hawai’i. In case you didn’t know this about me – I LOVE HAWAI’I. LOVE IT. It’s my favourite vacation spot and we go there as often as possible. So I’m always thrilled to read books set in this beautiful paradise.

While I hadn’t read the first three books in the series, I didn’t have any trouble getting caught up with Lanny, Lexi, Moki, and Rani and getting to know the characters as they helped Mr. Yamada locate a long-lost family heirloom.

I loved meeting this group of friends and seeing them solve mysteries together. They are a diverse group and are smart, curious, and open-minded. It’s a great story for kids – there’s adventure, friendships, travel and a mystery to solve – what’s not to love? The pacing of the story keeps the reader engaged and I found it a fun read.

A wonderful tale set in paradise

But my favourite aspect about the book was that it included a lot of education information as well. Hawai’i is not just a beautiful place, but it also has a very rich cultural history and tradition and seeing that portrayed in a Middle Grade book was wonderful. I especially liked the inclusion of Pearl Harbour and the Japanese internment camps – this is an important part of history that should never be forgotten and the author’s research and care in telling the story is evident.

The book is well written, the dialogue is realistic, and the pacing never lags. I find this last point to be especially important in books that are aimed at kids and teens. But it’s not a simplified tale either – it has excitement and intrigue which makes it an enjoyable read for all ages.

I really enjoyed Saffron Street: Island Danger a lot and now I’m definitely going to go back and read the first three books in the series too. I can’t wait for more adventures with Lanny, Lexi, Moki, and Rani!

Quote from Saffron Street: Island Danger

You can purchase your own copy of Saffron Street: Island Danger on Amazon or other retailers near you.