When Watts gets sent to stay at Whiskerton Manor, he plans on having a break from detective adventures. Coming from a long line of super sleuths, he has travelled the world with his parents solving mystery after mystery with them but he is now ready to branch out on his own. His best friend, Pearl, is ¼ year older than him (she never lets him forget it either), has zero patience and thinks she is always right (and due to her excellent observation skills and superrrrr smart brain, she usually is).

In this graphic novel with sweet characters and a gentle adventure, perfect for Book Clubbers age 5-7, the detective duo are presented with a challenge of their own when a planned excavation for a new swimming pool turns into an archaeological dig. At the same time as strange happenings at Whiskerton Manor, ‘The Apple of Cordovia’ is stolen and a police search is fruitless(!!), are the two mysteries linked?

Unusual in that this is a graphic novel which isn’t over stimulating, with just grey, white and peachy hues throughout, this lovely book contains summaries, notes, facts and questions as the friends work together to solve the crimes. This shows children how to evaluate information at a basic level and we even learnt a little about palaeontology and the job of an archaeologist. Moreover, it conveyed a message of the importance of teamwork, using your skill set and recognising that of others and the value of great friends.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bonnier Books for sending this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

A really fun introduction to early chapter books with a likeable duo, a mystery to solve and cute illustrations. I particularly liked how bigger/technical words were explained such as archaeology/ist. Definitely recommend to those just starting to read independently.

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

This book is such a joy. Presented as a novel but with elements of the tragic novel with pictures and little notes and bits of information. Not surprisingly, this delighted my younger and reluctant reader grandchildren. The story itself was strong and although the graphics and notes added much, the tale did not depend upon them, being strong enough to stand on its own. Already re-read by the younger family members. I will need to buy a paper copy if I want my kindle back.

I don’t read many mysteries of any kind so I thought that this would be a fun way to get into it, it’s a fun middle grade story about a duo who try to solve a mystery about dinosaur bones and rose bushes, I feel as though it is much more fun to go in knowing nothing else about it.

I had issues with the formatting of this which made it difficult to read at times but other than that I enjoyed my time reading this book.

I found the art style a lot of fun and the immediate friendship between Watts and Pearl was sweet, also there were a lot of puns in the names which made me smile.

There were parts of the mystery that were confusing but other than that I did really enjoy the book, I was just expecting a little more from it plot wise, though I think that as it is aimed at younger readers, it makes it simpler to understand.

Overall, I am excited to read the next one in the series and recommend this for any young readers looking to get into mysteries.

I was sent this e-Arc on Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was cute. Properly made mr smile and would be a great bedtime story of read aloud in a classroom setting! I’d love to read more like this!

What a delight this book was. Watts is a dog who wants to be a writer, but his attempts to make his own way in the world are dogged by everyone’s expectation that he following in his parents’ paw prints and become a famous detective. Staying as a guest at Whiskerton hall he finds himself faced with not one but four mysteries. Assistance comes in the form of Pearl Whiskerton, a cat with a nose for mystery.

Watts and Whiskerton is a neatly plotted jigsaw full of beautifully drawn characters. Meg McLaren effortlessly fits the four mysteries together and presents the clues at such a pace that a young reader will have great fun solving the case along with our heroes. The use of annotated illustrations to feed in extra information is tremendous fun (loved the ducks).

A PAWFECT introduction to the world of detective stories.

This is fab! I loved the way that this book is presented, with little side notes and comments to the reader. I also really enjoyed the little explanations of things, such as why archaeologists make a grid when they're exploring an area. I also really like illustrations with a limited palette and this book does that really well.