I didn't realize this was a Mid-Grade book when I requested it, but it was a really fun read! The mystery was engaging without being dark. I think this would be a great series for young readers!

I received an ARC of this to read in exchange for my honest review, and was a little surprised to discover that it was written for middle-school-age kids. But as an adult, I’ve read lots of kids’ books that I enjoyed, so I went ahead and read this one, and sure enough, I enjoyed it.

The protagonist is a 12-year old, Agnes Kelly, growing up in the early 60s. She’s a bit of a tomboy, reads a lot, and likes to look stuff up, so I immediately felt at home with her. I have plenty of my own memories of getting lost in books to the exclusion of what was going on around me! And I felt like I was best friends with Agnes the moment she said she liked the smell of coffee, but that it tasted like burned dirt – that’s exactly the way I still feel about coffee, even as an adult.

I also enjoyed the look back at the early 60s. At age twelve in the early 60s, Agnes is just a bit older than I, but not too far off. I especially liked the descriptions of flying in the early 60s, which were not too much different than my memories of flying in the late 60s. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Istanbul, which I visited only in the 2010s, but whose monuments, such as the Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, the Bosporus, and the Golden Horn still felt familiar.

The main premise of the book is sort of sad – Agnes’ father has died abroad, and her grandmother is trying to find out more about the somewhat suspicious circumstances of his death. But the author manages to keep most of the book from being too sad, and instead, it’s an engaging tale of Agnes’ twin paths of enjoying her big adventure abroad, while also trying to figure out what her grandmother is up to.

As you might expect, for an adult, this was a very quick read, and I finished it in one sitting. I only had two minor quibbles about the book. The first was that it was a fun conceit to have Agnes put the definitions of big words in brackets in the text, and also a sly way to help young readers learn some vocabulary, but I felt it was just a bit overdone. Eventually though, I managed to start skipping over those without being distracted. And the other is that the story doesn’t come to a totally clean close at the end – although it isn’t a traditional “cliff-hanger” ending, some key elements are left unresolved for the next book, which feels a bit like cheating. Since I enjoyed this book, I’m not going to mind reading the next one, which hopefully will complete the story arc, but I didn’t really expect this in a kid’s book.

All-in-all, I enjoyed the book a lot, and suspect I’ll enjoy the next one as well. Please note that I tend to be pretty conservative in awarding stars, only giving five stars to maybe one in thirty or forty books, the ones I think I’ll read and re-read and re-read again. So four stars is a great rating from me and means I really recommend a book. And my thanks again to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

A great idea for children and young adults, this story teaches the reader while telling a tale, giving word definitions and describing the historical sights used as settings. It's about a young girl who accompanies her grandmother on a trip to Istanbul, but it turns out not to be just a holiday.
While it had a good plot, there were too many errors, in particular the use of wrong words (eg crumbled instead of crumpled). The Turkish was also inconsistent, with Turkish characters used in direct speech but not in names etc, and the pronunciation given in phonetic form was also inconsistent. This should have been corrected in editing. If the book was correctly edited then I'd give it five stars!
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

Intrigue in Istanbul, An Agnes Kelly Mystery Adventure by Christine Keleny , set in 1961, a time of the cold war and space race, is packed with information in a way that will engage children, parents and teachers alike.
I loved everything about this book: its plot, the vivid characterization, the information (of course… I’m a parent and a teacher!).
Thank you so much BooksGoSocial for this absolute gem!
#IntrigueInIstanbul #NetGalleyFrance

This is the first of what is to be a trilogy known as the Agnes Kelly Mystery Series. The novels are more akin to the Nancy Drew Mystery Series, but it's set in the 1960's during the Cold War.

Agnes' father unexpectedly dies on a business trip to Istanbul. Unaware of the circumstances of her father's death, she accidentally overhears her Uncle Bob with her Grandmother Agee talking about her father's death and Grandmother Agee quickly silences Uncle Bob. As a distraction, Grandmother Agee abruptly asks Agnes if she wants to go with her on a trip to Istanbul, which Agnes is thrilled about. So, the adventure begins.

They arrive in Istanbul, with Agnes believing her dad worked for the US government selling insurance. Agnes' eyes are opened to a foreign place in the world, where one only dreams about. She enjoys and is curious about her visits to the Blue Mosque and the Hagi Sophia. The colors of the tiles and their structures amaze Agnes, as well as learning for the first time that Muslims pray on their knees on rugs, not in pews, which are absent from the mosque. The street sounds and the many people crowded throughout the city are magic to her sight and ears, especially the spice market.

Agnes has an active and vivid imagination, like most early teens possess and she is instantly curious about things, which she is made aware of for the first time. She has a fertile imagination and an ever expansive awareness, which at times can be humorous for us adults, but perfectly normal for someone of Agnes' age.

Agnes slowly becomes aware that Grandma Agee is subtly inquiring about her dad and his death, and Agnes is curious to know more. Agnes befriends a young boy Yusuf who is similar in age and they team up to investigate and follow Grandma Agee. They embark on their journey and they soon discover things about her dad, which make Agnes even more curious. Her dad's working for the US government selling insurance is becoming increasingly doubtful, as their journey deepens. It is soon revealed to Agnes that her dad did work for the US government, not as a salesmen, but as a spy for the CIA. And to further add to her mysterious father's activities, it is soon disclosed that he did not die in Istanbul, but in Norway. The end of the book concludes with Grandmother Agee telling Agnes we're off to Norway, so the mystery continues for another day.

This book is an easy read and quite humorous at times. Adults will enjoy this series, even though it's more suitable for teens. It's a nice introduction for teens wanting to know what lies outside of the US and their curious minds will not be disappointed, as they can only imagine what is in store for them in the next book of the series.

I think this book can be appreciated at all ages.
It well written, engrossing and entertaining.
I loved the plot, the cast of characters and the setting.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

If Lemony Snicket met Harriet the Spy, and threw in a healthy dose of international travel, it would be almost as good as Intrigue in Istanbul! Agnes’ story starts with something sad, but we quickly move onto an adventure with plenty of fun and a touch of danger. Throughout the novel, Agnes does a great job of explaining large or unfamiliar words for the reader as well as idioms she has encountered. One great thing about Agnes is that if she doesn’t know something, she looks it up!

This novel would be a great read for upper elementary or middle school students (although this grown up enjoyed it very much) because it is a fun and quick story that will teach you something along the way. This novel would be wonderful for a read aloud for parents, homeschooling families, or classrooms. It would be easy to create a whole lesson on idioms using the novel itself as well as Agnes’ letter at the end which covers even more idioms. There could also be tie in lessons on history, geography, and culture.

I will definitely be reading the next two novels to see if Agnes solves her mystery!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very interesting book. I found the main character to be intelligent and engaging. As it targeted towards middle schoolers, the definitions were a good addition. I felt like I could still enjoy the story even as an adult because it wasn't dumbed down. I thought is was exciting for someone like Agnes to get to go on an adventure during the 60's to a place like Istanbul. She is there with her grandmother and figures out that her grandmother is trying to find out how Agnes' father really died. My main complaint about the book is that it wasn't complete in itself and I will have to read the second book to find out what is the conclusion.

It's a very nice book for young readers. Waht I really liked was the perspective, Agnes is very vividly pictured and you can identify with her. It is very good that more complicated words are explains and this happens so naturally that it fits Agnes's character and the story itself. At the same time the story is interestening through her genre (mystery, detective story), so it can appeal to young readers.

Agnes Kelly's father has just died. He worked for the US Government, selling insurance. When Agnes's grandmother invites on a trip to Istanbul, Agnes discovers that there was more to her dad's life than insurance. Yes he worked for the government, but he wasn't selling insurance. Luckily she's a very enterprising 12 year old.

A book to make you laugh out loud.

Great start to a new series. It's perfect for fans of Nancy Drew and Robin Stevens. Agnes is an endearing character and I look forward to seeing her relationship with her grandmother grow as they continue their adventures. The author did a wonderful job describing Istanbul . My only criticism is that it was too short, more of a novella, it left me wanting more. If all of the stories are shorter, I hope that all of Agnes' adventures will bound into one book for publication.