"How was it?" asked Gemma as I squeezed my feet into my roller skates for the third time that day.

"Catastrophic. I bumped into my mum."

Gemma shuddered from head to toe. She's scared of my mum. I used to be scared of my mum too, until I started scaring her back.

Precocious Sophie Margaret Catriona Seade (pronounced "seed") insists on being called Sesame and is one unabashed, sassy, impudent 11-year-old. And she's hilarious. Her mom is the Head of Christ's College at Cambridge University and her dad is the college Chaplain. She's completely confident running amok on campus, talking back outrageously, and generally being as disobedient and independent as possible.

She's also quite smart, so when something suspicious occurs with one of the students, she takes it upon herself to investigate. Between Sesame's brains and brazenness, she makes a surprisingly effective detective, "interfering" parents and all. Though something serious really is amiss, Sesame's style is so breezy and funny it's easy to forget the weight of the crime and simply get caught up in the entertainment. This book is gleefully fun.

"Maman cherie, light of my life, can I go out for a walk?"

"No."

"Papa cheri, fire of my loins, can I go out for a walk?"

"For Heaven's sake, Sophie, where did you get that terrifying expression from? And no, you may not go out for a walk. It's nine o'clock. You should be in bed."

Sophying me around is the best way of getting me to disobey. I was outside in no time at all. My bedroom window is just above a little terrace where the big tree leans on its elbow. I slid down the trunk and landed on a bunch of tulips.

-----

"The problem with Sophie is that she's a self-obsessed little Narcissus."

"Mummy, my tie has absolutely got to be tied in the right way, or else I might catch Mr. Halitosis's virus when he tells me off."

"Mr. What?"

"Mr. Halitosis. You know, my teacher?"

"Mr. Barnes, you mean?"

"Mother, you are five centuries late. That used to be his name, as in, on the very first day of school, before we noticed what was wrong with him. We called him Mr. Deathbreath for a while, but then Gemma's mum told her bad breath was actually a medical condition called halitosis. So to be more respectful and accurate, we now call him Mr. Halitosis."

"You've been in front of that mirror for eighteen minutes."

"And it's worked wonders. The tie is perfectly tied. You may call for my carriage."

I discovered this series while shelving books at the local library. Of all the Cambridge mystery books I've been reading, this one is hands (and skates!) down the very best. It's a fun romp through Cambridge and Grantchester, so it does help if you've been here. But everyone should enjoy Sesame and her way with words. Brilliant!

This now one of my favorite mystery books. It's really super funny, and it's a really good book. I'd give it more than 5 stars, if possible.

This was a cute kids book. I loved that she roller skated all over the place and helped solve a mystery. It's set in England so there are some fun British words and an interesting setting since her family lives on the campus of a college.

A very cute book. It gave me a lot of laughs

Also posted at http://snugglingonthesofa.com/book-review-sleuth-on-skates/

Sleuth on Skates is the first in the Sesame Seade Mysteries, where we meet Sophie, who fancies herself as a bit of a detective. Equipped with her roller skates and the wonderful town of Cambridge to explore, she falls into all sorts of amusing situations. When one of the students at Cambridge disappears, Sophie takes it upon herself to discover what happened to her. Between suspicious professors and potential enemies of the missing girl, as well as dodging her parents and the appearance of a pregnant duck, Sophie has her hands full. 

Sophie is just a great character. She is so witty, and the conversations with her parents had me in giggles. She is so matter-of-fact in the way that confident children are, and just her enthusiasm and nosy nature made me fall in love with her. Oh how I wish I was solving mysteries as a child! Clementine Beauvais is an amazing storyteller, and has managed to weave a fun but exciting mystery that results in a book that you just can't put down. It is full of fabulous one-liners that will ensure this is a book you will want to reread over and over. 

One thing I love most about this book is the illustrations. They are so adorable, and really helped me to picture the situation and the characters. I think they are perfect for kids as well, as a lot of them are funny. The illustrator, Sarah Horne, is actually selling a few prints from the book, and I am seriously thinking about getting one. Or two. Or three...

Overall Sleuth on Skates was a book I really fell in love with. It had me smiling throughout at Sophie's escapades, and I can't wait to find out more about her adventures in the next book! 4.5 sofas.