A fun, whimsical novel, perfect for all readers.

This story follows the exploits of the Magical Detective Agency - the first "detectives" - as they look to solve cases around their town. However, when their leader is imprisoned, the group must come together to release her. That is easier said than done, however.

A hugely funny and entertaining story, mixed with drama, intrigue and danger.

Absolutely brilliant! Love, love love this middle-grade humorous detective fantasy-mystery!

I was reminded of one of my favourite books from this year, OverLondon, but aimed at younger readers (8-12), and there are also elements of both Robin Stevens and Robin Bennett, but this story is still fresh, new and joyfully itself.

The main character isn’t really the titular Clarity Jones but street-rat Mutt, who stumbles into her newly-opened detective agency just in time to join an investigation into a missing court jester. And I challenge readers not to adore Mutt, Clarity (ex-princess), Mirko (obsessively clean snow gnoblin) and Nissassa (ex-ninja-assassin) at once!

The whole book is Pratchett-esque in tone and not bogged down by lots of worldbuilding – the author sketches out a rough outline then lets the characters and the reader’s imagination fill in the gaps. There is tons of humour and action, and a fun mystery to solve, but it is the characters that really shine and leave you wanting more.

This is ANOTHER ‘keeper’ in what has been a very good reading year for me, and I am desperately hoping this is the first in a very long series!

I really enjoyed this magical fantasy story for middle grade readers about the origins of a detective agency. Not many people have heard of 'detectives' and so when Mutt becomes an apprentice detective, he has to answer a lot of questions. Working alongisde a diverse team (snow goblins, an assassin and an ex-princess) he has to solve lots of increasingly more complex cases.

It was a really funny story that was brilliantly complimented by the pictures. There was lots of action, danger and adventure that was balanced by humour and friendship. The characters were really interesting to learn about and I appreciated not knowing all about them straight away - it felt more mature to slowly have different facts about each of them revealed. Definitely one for reluctant readers who want an illustrated chapter book with adventure and humour.

"Clarity Jones and the Magical Detective Agency" by Chris Smith is a delightful blend of mystery and magic, perfect for young readers and the young at heart. The story follows Clarity, a resourceful young detective with an extraordinary ability to see things others can't. When she stumbles upon a magical world hidden in plain sight, the adventure unfolds with charm and whimsy. Smith's writing is engaging, and the world-building is rich and imaginative. Clarity's character is endearing and relatable, making this a captivating and enchanting tale that will transport readers to a realm of wonder and intrigue. A must-read for fans of magic and mystery.

This is great fun! I can already imagine some of my class enjoying this book. It’s fast paced and quirky, so likely to keep them interested. Would recommend for 8+ worth a read.

Clarity Jones is a detective. Not that anyone in the kingdom of Rillia knows what a detective is, because she's the first. With a semi-retired assassin, a cleaning-obsessed Snow Gnoblin and a street-orphan by her side, can the team solve the mystery of the Duchess's missing jester?

This was a fun, magical adventure with an assortment of characters and creatures.

Highly derivative, but so full of fun and novelty all is forgiven, to make this a very good choice indeed. We have a city (complete with H2G2-styled interrupting guidebook) where our young hero is going to stumble upon a team of magical investigators, just in time for their weirdest case yet. In the run-up to the season of miserableness and complaining about the cold weather, some old biddy's cat is missing, and the ruling woman would like her jester back. What is most derivative is also the mobile treasure chest, which acts almost as a dog here, and the sort of Horrible Histories, self-referential, self-discussing, self-critiquing kind of shtick.

But the joys are manifold, too – the oh-so-broad characters, all snappily given their backstory, are taught to us in such quick fashion we really can get on with having a full adventure, and not lose anything for all the world-building. You could even say the drama reduces the comedy somewhat, but there generally are enough gags and yucks to remind you of the genre concerned. You could say it has a huge plot-hole (if he is not who he really is, why does the thingummy work like it does?!) but this is one to wallow in and enjoy until it just takes off with heightened drama and fantasy fun. Definitely a strong four stars.

Requested this one for my son who had already heard of the author and he loved it.
Pure escapism and an incredible imagination combined to make this a real winner.

Clarity Jones and the Magical Detective Agency is set in the great city of Meandermart. Clarity Jones recently invented the word 'detective' and no one else is entirely sure what it means, but several local people have used the detective agency's services with great success. Also working with Clarity are Mirko the snow gnoblin and Nissassa the retired assassin. Mutt is a boy who lives in Meandermart and one day stumbles upon the detective agency premises himself, and becomes caught up in their latest case to find a missing jester.
Like Chris Smith's other books, this is full of witty puns and play-on-words as well as plenty of twists and turns. I enjoyed the interweaving of the history of certain characters within the story and also the 'fact' chapters about creatures the characters come across on their journey. There are also fantastic illustrations by Kenneth Anderson and of course, an excellent map to start the book off! Whilst featuring character types that will be familiar to readers (such as royalty), they are not the stereotypes that might be expected and I hope there will be more to come from the detective agency!
A book that is a lot of fun and will be enjoyed by readers who like adventure stories, magic and humorous books.

My 9 year old and I LOVED this book! It was fun, funny and engaging. We loved the cast of characters and the mischief they get up to!

A fun story set in a medieval style setting, a good number of illustrations. If you are looking for an imaginative and fun fantasy read, I highly recommend it.

I had fun reading this and I was catapulted back to my childhood. It has a magical world, with wonderful quirky and colourful characters. It's a masterclass in how to write a children's book for both children and adults to enjoy.

As an adult who reads a lot of Middle Grade fiction I really liked the concept of this book.

It has a really great plot full of adventure and mystery and humour. The pacing was great - I flew though the book.

It didn’t feel particularly new, but I was definitely a good example of how to write a children’s book.

It’s great! Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

With magical creatures and wizards, too,
Potions and apprentices, much to do,
The first ever detective agency in this magical land
Has investigations where some things go unplanned!

Just think of the things to help solve a case
That if you were magical, you'd have in place.
From magically following footsteps to their source
To finding the perpetrator, of course!

A delightful fun read for children and adults, too,
With surprises galore for readers like you.
It really is another laugh out loud read,
Just what we all often need.

An adventure with lots of twists and more
As Clarity Jone seeks the clues to explore.
She's the first detective to work here
And has a magical team to help her get in gear!

A fun story that children will find fun,
With illustrations to show how some things are done.
An engaging read to keep them engaged to the end
A great read to share with a friend!

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

As an adult, I thought this was highly amusing to read - lots of asides to the reader, helpful hints and backstories etc thrown in and humorous comments throughout made it a very enjoyable read. And children would absolutely love it too - the adventure and the mismatch of characters (loved the clean streak in the snow goblin!), and the sheer magic of it. Win win all round!! Would highly recommend and will definitely be looking to purchase a copy and any further in the series!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

What an adventure! There is a mystery to be solved and an eclectic mixture of character ready to take on the challenge. The varied combination of characters means that there is someone for everyone from Mutt (who knows how to look in unusual places) to Mirko (the cleanliness-obsessed snow goblin) who were my personal favourites. The illustrations are charming and there is a scattering of amusing foot notes and side stories sprinkled throughout the entire story.
This reminded me of the humour of Terry Pratchett -something for the children and equally something for the adults too.
Hopefully this could be the beginning of a series of adventures for Clarity Jones and her Magical Detective Agency.

I have only given this Book 4 Stars due to it's rather long winded start which even one of my grandchildren agreed with me about it ! However once it did get going it's character's with their unique individuality came shinning through . With an evil UnderDuke,a shape shifting Monster as an accomplice & the most odd bunch to be called Detectives it was then a fun read. #NetGalley, #GoodReads,#FB, #Amazon.co.uk, #Instagram ,#<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

This was an OK read. I didn't feel like it had a particularly unique voice, reminding me of the works of several other childrens book authors. This isn't technically a bad thing, as those other authors are popular, but I tend not to enjoy their work as others who have a more unique way of storytelling.
however, the book itself was pretty enjoyable. fast paced, interesting and funny characters and a good plot. My only gripe would be the character, Smyll, which is basically a knockoff of the Luggage from Pratchett's discworld books, but even then, he was kind of adorable, so I cant get too mad.
overall, a fun story. Not my favourite, nothing super new or exciting, but I do think kids will have fun with it.

Such a fun book for 9 to 12 year olds. This is a fast paced story full of mystery and humor. Clarity sets up the first detective agency in the kingdom and, with her team, starts to find mysteries to solve which proves a bit difficult as no one knows what a detective is. Her team includes an ex assassin, a snow goblin and a street boy who happens upon the agency one day. The characters are well drawn, interesting and I found myself intrigued by them and wanting to find out more. The book includes lots of backstory and is a very enjoyable read.

Huge thanks to the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review, I absolutely loved Clarity Jones and the Magical Detective Agency. It is so fun, vibrant and a truly terrific adventure. Mutt, Clarity and the gang just leap off the page, I also loved the storytelling format of each character’s backstory and the guide to the various creatures. All in all, it’s an easy five stars from me, the humour, the illustrations of the characters and plot makes this a new classic.