Book Review Wednesday: The Night in Question by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

Can anyone explain to me why I have been in such a reading funk lately? Nothing is inspiring me or knocking my socks off. Am I reading only what I think I should want to be reading? Do I have too many choices and I can't find the right book for me? What is going on?!

I received an ARC of "The Night in Question" by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson; this book was a sequel to one of my favorite books of 2022, "The Agathas" which follow juvenile detectives and new best friends Iris & Alice who find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation. 

I was really excited for the sequel which was released on May 30th but it kind of missed the mark for me. 

Publisher's Summary

Last October, Alice Ogilvie's ex-best friend, Brooke Donovan, was killed—and if it weren't for Alice's unlikely alliance with her tutor, Iris Adams, and her library of the complete works of Agatha Christie, the wrong person would almost certainly be sitting in prison for the crime. The Castle Cove police aren't exactly great at solving crimes. In fact, they're notorious for not solving crimes.

Which is why, on the night of Castle Cove High's annual Sadie Hawkins dance, Alice takes the opportunity to explore Levy Castle—the site of one of Castle Cove's most infamous deaths. Mona Moody—­the classic film star—died there almost a century ago, and Alice is pretty sure the police got that invest­igation wrong, too. But before she can even think about digging deeper, she walks right into the scene of a 

Which is why, on the night of Castle Cove High's annual Sadie Hawkins dance, Alice takes the opportunity to explore Levy Castle—the site of one of Castle Cove's most infamous deaths. Mona Moody—­the classic film star—died there almost a century ago, and Alice is pretty sure the police got that invest­igation wrong, too. But before she can even think about digging deeper, she walks right into the scene of a new crime. Rebecca Kennedy, on the ground in a pool of blood. And standing over Kennedy? Another one of Alice's ex-friends—Helen Park.

The Castle Cove Police Department thinks it's an open-and-shut case, but Alice and Iris are sure it can't be that simple. Park isn't a murderer—and the girls know all too well that in life, and in mysteries, things are rarely what they appear to be. To understand the present, sometimes you need to look to the past.

Castle Cove is full of secrets, and Alice and Iris are about to uncover one of its biggest—and most dangerous—secrets of all.

My Thoughts

I had such high hopes for this book because I loved "The Agathas" so much but I have to say, I was slightly disappointed. I felt that the book was too long and offered a lot of unimportant details that didn't really add to the story, but only made me more confused. 

The feeling I had while reading this was very similar to what I felt while reading the final installment of 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' -- these teenagers have no business trying to be detectives and while I know this is a work of fiction, it just felt so unrealistic. 

I think that it started off really strong but as the book went on and the story got a little weirder, a little less believable, and a little more twisted, I started to lose interest. I didn't really care about Mona Moody or the men in her life - it wasn't important to me; I didn't like how it all tied back to Rebecca Kennedy's attack - it felt like a stretch.

My thoughts can be summed up by saying this; "The Night in Question" felt like it jumped the shark way too early in the series. I loved The Agathas so much and I really wanted to love this as well. I do think if the authors write another installment, which the ending was set up perfectly for a third book, I will read it because I feel committed to these characters. 

I have to say that the writing was really great; I just kind of wish the book went in a different direction. I do think that if you loved The Agathas and are curious about where Iris and Alice ended up you'll want to read this but just manage expectations. 

What are you reading this week?
xoxo
B