I shared this with some of the children at school and they really loved it. A little bit younger than Murder Most Unladylike, so a great introduction to detective stories.

This is the first book I have read by this author. The writing style flowed well and I would happily read more of her stories.

This was definitely a quick read and middle grade was done in a pretty good way! I liked that the main character Zaiba is in this detecting agency with her little brother, cousin, and best friend. I felt kind of fresh that it wasn't just friends or just siblings. Also, I really liked the diversity in the book, Zaiba and her brother are Pakistani, then there are some other characters with different identities, it felt pretty good. I liked the mystery and it was kinda believable as it was all about finding this new artifact that is found in the UK by this Indian Trade Ship. It was also very historical as it touched on a few issues that happened with colonized India and stuff. I found the later detective work (finding who stole the artifact) interesting, and they were all pretty organized, but I figured it out pretty easily. I don't know but it was a fun quick read and it can be read without even reading the previous books in the series (I didn't), so I recommend it to children and tweens!

My first time reading this series, but this is the fourth book about Zaiba and her group of friends who investigate crimes. I love a middle grade mystery series - and I would say this would work best for the younger end of the age group - it's got illustrations and the language is simpler so it's more of a first chapter book than say Robin Stevens' books - and there's no murder which means it works for younger kids too. It's fun, a little unlikely in patches - adults accepting eleven year olds helping investigate stuff - but no less unlikely than some other stories in the genre. I loved the sections with Zaiba's aunt in Pakistan and all the food references made me really hungry! These are going on my list of books to suggest for younger children - although I think all of the people I regularly purchase for are too old for this now sadly.

he fourth book in the Agent Zaiba Investigates series is released tomorrow but, as a family, we are new to these detective books. How delighted we were to finally meet these characters. With an intriguing plot, a seaside setting and a unique historical angle to the mystery, it has all the ingredients for a classic case-cracking story.

When Zaiba and the school history club visit an ancient shipwreck, things take a sinister turn when a precious artefact goes missing. Zaiba and the rest of her Snow Leopard Detective Agency immediately start investigating but the clock is ticking. The artefact is due to be returned to its country of origin. Can Zaiba and her agency find it in time?

The set-up of this series feels very similar to the mystery stories I read as a child, namely The Secret Seven and The Famous Five by Enid Blyton. The detectives have a strong family bond, they take themselves very seriously and the mysteries have that classic feel of smugglers, hauntings and stolen jewels. We loved the attention to detail that instantly made the characters feel vivid and well-rounded- for example, Poppy's love of historical fashion and Ali's love of puzzles-and the mystery is very well plotted but simple enough for younger readers to follow.

The story, however, has some key differences that sets it apart from previous young mystery series we've read. Firstly, there is a lovely historical angle to the mystery, allowing the author to, not only include some incredibly interesting and authentic facts, but also to open up readers' thinking by raising important questions about the mistakes of the past. The second is Zaiba's rich family history in the art of detecting. We loved that Zaiba's Aunt Fouzia is the best detective in Pakistan and that her missing mother was a detective also.

Using her precious Eden Lockett novels as a guide to solving her own cases, Zaiba makes for a strong, detemined and thorough detective. The novel is well-paced but also provides regular recaps so readers don't get lost in the plot. There are some great red herrings and fishy suspects and as this mystery takes place by the seaside, so much the better. Although, I've already used these words already, 'classic' and 'authentic' really do sum up this detective story.

We didn't realise that this was part of a series when we requested it and we have not read the previous books but in the long run it really didn't matter too much. This was an exciting book that encourages the younger members of the family to try and work out the mystery as they went along. It did not go from exciting to scary which was good but the story keeps up a good pace.

Agent Zaiba is back with another brilliant adventure!

Zaiba, Poppy, Ali and Mariam are off to the seaside, but there's no time to play on the beach when there's a mysterious artefact to discover and a theft to foil, involving shipwrecks, smugglers and secret passages.

This fun filled story has plenty of clues for young mystery fans to follow along with, as well as enough suspects to keep them guessing. The high stakes make this a good page turner and there's plenty of drama and twists, but it never veers into being scary, making Agent Zaiba a perfect introductory series to the mystery genre.

Zaiba herself is a brilliant main character, whose quiet confidence shows what children can achieve when they're taken seriously. She values all her friends' skills and makes sure they have the time to shine - and is patient if things don't quite go right.

Sosa's illustrations are, as always, a brilliant accompaniment to the story.

The Smuggler's Secret gently raises interesting questions about history and the ownership of items in museums, and it prompt some great discussions both in classrooms and at home.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to have access to an eARC for this book in return for an honest review.

This was an ok middle grade book about a group of children going out and doing detective work based around smugglers. This although was described great and had a well thought out plan felt like it was missing something this could be because its not marketed for me but I felt I was missing getting to know the characters a bit more.

It is so wonderful to be back with Zaiba, Ali and Poppy in their next mystery! This modern-day Nancy Drew has everything it takes to be a great detective, using all of her observation skills, quick-thinking and powers of deduction that help her to see things other don’t.

The Snow Leopard Detective Agency is heading off on an overnight expedition to Chesil Bay on the Jurassic Coast with their school history club. Divers have recovered a shipwreck containing a priceless artefact. The children can’t wait to find out what it is and where it came from.

Smugglers, a threatening note, fossils and a journey out to sea on a glass bottom boat lead the detectives on a puzzling adventure which has something to do with the East India Company in the 1830s. Who is trying to steal the artefact and what can they do to protect it? With so many potential suspects, real danger and difficult clues, readers are left guessing right until the very end.

Thank you to Little Tiger for this brilliant book!

The History Club are going on an excursion to Chesil Bay. There they’ll be doing their best to avoid seasickness as they travel by glass-bottom boat to see a sunken shipwreck. They’ll also get to witness the unveiling of the priceless artefact that was recovered from the ship.

Because the entire UK branch of the Snow Leopard Detective Agency will be in attendance, there’s bound to be a mystery or two to solve.

“Major crime to investigate. Agents assemble!”

Zaiba, her best friend Poppy, younger brother Ali and cousin Mariam, an honorary Snow Leopard member, are ready to follow Eden Lockett’s Golden Rules to find the clues, figure out the motive and capture the culprit.

I love that there’s an Eden Lockett book that’s relevant to every investigation the Snow Leopards take on. The tips Zaiba finds in both the text and her mother’s handwritten notes are often vital to moving her own investigation along. In this book, it’s The Cottage on the Cliff.

Zaiba’s habit of verbalising her observations helps me picture each scene, assisting me in solving the mystery alongside her.

There’s bonus content at the end of this book, including Eden Lockett’s Golden Rules, an extract from the Eden Lockett book Zaiba references and information about smugglers.

The only Golden Rule that gives me pause is #6:

“When you have to cover a lot of ground, split up and spread out.”

It works well for this series but whenever I come across it my brain sends me Horror 101 warnings, which are definitely not applicable here.

I must be really getting into the spirit of things. As new people were introduced, I didn’t view them as characters to get to know; I saw them as potential suspects I’d need to observe now and perhaps interrogate later.

I really hope a future investigation involves Zaiba teaming up with Aunt Fouzia, the best detective in Pakistan, to solve the mystery of Zaiba’s missing mother. I’d love for them to find her.

“Stay ready. Mystery is always around the corner.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Stripes Publishing, an imprint of Little Tiger Group, for the opportunity to read this book.

The Agent Zaiba Investigates series has become one of my absolute favourites, so of course I jumped on the chance of reading the fourth book: The Smuggler’s Secret.

This time, Zaiba and her fellow sleuths are off to Chesil Beach on a school trip. It was really fun to read a book set somewhere I’ve been quite a few times. I honestly enjoyed this book so much. There’s a great mystery, a collection of well loved characters, caves, and smugglers. What could be better?

As always, the illustrations are lovely, and really bring the story to life. This book would work well as a standalone, but you’ll enjoy it even more if you read the previous books first.

Overall, this story was just so much fun, and another excellent addition to a favourite series.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

A great first read for the new year. I really enjoyed this book. I love a good mystery to solve and those written for children are just as good.

This was an easy read and I can definitely see it being enjoyed by children. I have not read the first three books in the series yet (I managed to get an advance digital copy of this one from NetGalley). The fact that I hadn’t read the previous books didn’t impact my enjoyment at all. (There are vague references to the previous stories but nothing that holds you back if you don’t know them.)

The characters Zaiba, Poppy, Ali and Mariam are very relatable. There is a massive amount of representation in this book which is one of the many things which make it a fantasy book.

The plot is interesting and has enough to hold your interest and keep you guessing without it becoming too complex.

The History Club are off on a weekend school trip to see a newly discovered artefact. Kept a secret until it’s upcoming reveal their first mystery is to try and work out what this priceless item could be.

Zaiba and the Snow Leopard Detective Agency UK Branch are up for the challenge - they also suspect that where such a valuable artefact is concerned there is a very high chance that a crime will occur. If it does they will be prepared.

Perfect for children (and adults) aged 8+

A priceless artefact has been stolen from the museum in the small seaside town of Chesil Bay… just as it was due to be returned to its proper home in far away Assam. Luckily, Zaiba and her friends from the UK branch of the Snow Leopard Detective Agency are on a school trip to Chesil Bay just at the right time. Will they be able to solve the mystery, find the artefact and expose the thief?

This was a fun book to read. It is the fourth volume in a series. Not having read the previous instalments did not take anything away from me enjoying the story. You might however want to start the series at the beginning to fully get all of the characters’ background stories.

The story was fast-paced and there were quite a few shifty suspects! It was a joy to see Zaiba work together with her friends. They used a thorough and methodical approach to problem solving and it paid off in the end! I really liked how inclusive the book was in terms of portraying its characters - Zaiba is British-Asian and grows up in a blended family, and we encounter two male security guards that are married to each other. The books also raises some serious questions for discussion, ie. what should we do with museum artefacts that were brought here from far-away countries?

I would recommend this book for early readers that are moving from first chapter books to middle grade fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Tiger Press for providing me with the advanced reading copy.

Thank you so much to Little Tiger Group/ Stripes Publishing for the earc to read and review.

This is so thrilling, it’s such a detailed, engaging and fun mystery that I adored reading and trying to solve with the Snow Leopard Detective Agency UK.

The mystery takes us to a small little town filled with history and a lot of secrets, the history club are there to see the unveiling of a mysterious artefact that had been found in a sunken ship from the 1800s but at the unveiling its found to be missing, so Zaiba gathers her team to start plotting out and investigating what, who, why and where it went.

I really love this series of books Zaiba is an incredible protagonist, shes an incredible leader and a wonderful friend and detective she doesn’t miss anything and can piece together everything from the smallest clues. I love how different each member of her team are and that they can each offer something vital in solving the mystery.

Attempting to solve this mystery with the team was so much fun, I honestly wasn’t very successful through most of it, but that’s what makes it fun, having the opportunity while reading to try and solve the mystery and following along to get to the answer is just so much fun and I love it.

It’s such a thrilling and fun read and I cannot wait for more in this series as it is amazing. The end of the book also gives us an amazing sneaky look into the Eden Locket books that Zaiba loves and wow I squealed a little at what was learnt from that. You also get some fun facts and tips for creating projects similar to what was in the book which I love as it added extra involvement with the book perfect fir kids.

I highly recommend this book series the thrill of the mystery throughout each book, the beautiful illustrations, the incredibly detailed storytelling, the wonderful characters, the diversity and inclusion within the book and the mystery you get to unwind throughout, plus they are just an all round incredibly enjoyable read.

In her fourth mystery adventure Agent Zaiba once again finds herself with a puzzle to solve, an investigative team to manage and a race against the clock to complete her mission! This illustrated fiction series, pitched at a readership of 8+ goes from strength to strength, with Zaiba growing in confidence and the members of her Snow Leopard Detective Agency increasingly providing the collaborative support she needs for her sleuthing endeavours.

One of the reasons that I love this series is the way that Annabelle Sami has portrayed inclusivity so naturally throughout the stories. Zaiba is part of a blended and very loving family. Her own mother died whilst on a mission for The Snow Leopard Detective Agency when Zaiba was very young; Zaiba remains very close to her Aunt Fouzia who continues to run the detective agency in Karachi and feels a close bond to her mother through the annotated ‘Eden Lockett’ mysteries that she has inherited. However, there is no doubting the warm, loving relationships between stepmother Jessica, half-brother Ali and Dad, Hassan who all play significant roles in all the stories. Additionally, on the theme of inclusivity, I think this is the first middle grade story that I have read where a character is referred to using the pronouns they/their/them.

Zaiba is determined, patient, methodical and above all kind, demonstrated in the way she welcomes cousin Mariam who has caused much upset in previous volumes, into the junior Snow Leopard team. In return, Mariam proves to be a logical and confident detective. Once again best friend Poppy’s flair for fashion and drama plays a key role in the investigation, as does Ali’s quick-thinking intelligence. There is enough introductory detail in the story that you can read this as a standalone without having to have read the prior books, although I suspect that young readers will want to read the entire series.

All the young detectives have joined the after-school history club and are excited to be taken on a weekend expedition to Chesil Bay. They are to visit an old sunken shipwreck and see the ancient and valuable artefact that has been found within, which is to be displayed in the local museum before being returned to its rightful home in India. Zaiba’s detective instincts are finely tuned and even before they arrive at Chesil Bay she is suspicious of an old gentleman travelling on their train! The setting of Chesil Bay, with its historical tales of smuggling and ancient caves with rumoured secret passages is the perfect location for this ‘closed room’ style mystery which reaches a crescendo during an amateur dramatic re-enactment of the smuggler’s story. I also enjoyed learning a little more about Zaiba’s mum’s story, which is revealed by a character from her past who makes an appearance.

The author has cleverly blended Zaiba’s school history investigation of TheEast India Company with the ancient artefact from Assam, incorporating themes such as slavery and the necessity to return cultural artefacts to their rightful owners. This is woven through a tale packed with twists and turns, plenty of humour and illustrated throughout by Daniela Sosa. It is pitched at just the right level, in both style and content, for children of 8+ who are ready to read independently but still appreciate images to enhance comprehension and to create natural pauses in the text.

As a bonus at the end of the story, you get an extract from ‘The Cottage on the Cliff’ by Eden Lockett, which Zaiba has been reading throughout the school trip. Additionally there is a brief history of smuggling and a template so that readers can create their own Scrapbook of Legends in the style of the one that Aunt Fouzia has compiled.

A brilliant story of Zaiba and her class when they go on a field trip to the Jurassic coast. There are smugglers, lost treasure and yet another case for her detective agency. this is a super series for younger crime fighters.

The legendary Agent Zaiba and her Snow Leopard Detective Agency crew are back for a new mystery, this time on a weekend away to the seaside. Joining The history club, Zaiba and friends are given a unique opportunity to travel to the seaside to see a recently discovered shipwreck and mysterious artefact. They will need to guess what the treasure is before the great reveal and Zaiba’s unique skills give her the upper hand in figuring it all out.
The true mystery is harder to piece together but with help from family and friends, Zaiba slowly figures it all out. This spectacular and adventurous mystery features smugglers caves, overly dramatic actors and a hugely distinguishable family. Starting at the beginning and following the detective guidelines. Zaiba is able to put together a list of suspects and motives. At times it seems daunting but she is clever and things can sometimes click into place with just the right turn of phrase.
My daughter and I love this series, guaranteeing its purchase each time a new one is published. She is an inspirational character, treating everyone with kindness and fairness, even welcoming annoying cousin Mariam into the agency crew. I love Poppy and her fashionable personality and ability to question any suspect easily. Ali’s love of facts and information is adorable and quite handy in an investigation,
This is a series I hope to read more from!
My daughter is queuing up behind me to read this and I am sure she will give it 5 stars as well.