Looking for Emily

I loved this book, I think it is so impressive as a children's mystery it is next level from other books I have read in this genre. Well written, fast paced, twisty and unpredictable. I loved it and I couldn't put it down. It was totally compelling.

Absolutely charming seaside setting that just bounds off the page with thrilling chapters packed full of action as well! This book is a true testament to the meaning of family and friendships, and there wasn't a dull moment in the book. Any reader will happily got lost in the mystery and riddles along with Lily, Sam, and Jay.

Meet Lily. She and her mother have just moved from a city to a tiny seaside town called Edge, and everyone from said mother to her teacher are making demands of Lily that she make new friends. It turns out that she doesn't have any say in the matter, for while pretending when phoning home that she was with someone called Emily, she is unaware her neighbour, Sam, is just about to make herself known, and in a big way. But where does Emily come from? Well, Lily used that name because of what she'd just stumbled into – a mysterious collection of the most mundane objects, in some converted houses behind a most unassuming door, in a place calling itself 'The Museum of Emily'. Sam is completely unaware of this 'museum', too, leaving the two girls to make sure they leave no stone unturned in finding what's behind the intrigue...

While this quite brilliant set-up has been established, we've most economically been told a bit about Emily – that her mother has drowned, despite being a bit of a mermaid and despite the family coming from the line of Edge lighthousekeepers. But nothing explains the Museum, with its bulbs still glowing from the ceiling yet nothing more than exhibits and dust besides. Now, that economy does make for a perfectly page-turning mystery, but there is a little bit about it that makes me reluctantly say some things are too concise, pat and easy. Just witness the way the three investigators (for they've been joined by Jay with his perfect dark eyes and perfect dark braids) stumble upon a gang's ''base'', as if this needed a bit more Blytonising. (I'd already seen the fact that Sam lives with two fathers as a bit of ''look Enid, look what you could have had if you'd been a bit more progressive''.)

Witness too the way undeveloped photographs are no hurdle in their research – things do line up with a sign at the head of the queue saying ''unrealistic contrivance'' just that bit too often. The author also, as I saw the book at least, seems to take us through a whole montage of days at the investigative coalface, only to have Lily going to bed back on day one. But please, whatever you come away from this with, let it be the fact that these are mere nitpicks, and indicative of a larger flaw of mine, that I can discuss the negative til the cows come home, yet struggle with the positives.

And there are definitely, ''definitely'', positives here. The very discovery of the Museum, the mysterious man – lots of this delivers a frisson of enticing excitement. This is a perfectly judged mystery for the under-twelves, and so what if the author went pell-mell through it all leaving tiny flaws here and there? I damned well went pell-mell through it too – well, until not one but two jaw-dropping beats stopped me dead in my tracks. Sure, one had crossed my mind, but not in anything but the vaguest of ways – mostly because of the momentum and the page-turning qualities.

It will be the adult readers who see the clunk as the book shifts from Blyton of old to Blyton of today, with some of the joins not quite ideal. But this is a book that still survives an adult reading it, and does so with aplomb – this is far too good to rest in the hands of the target age brackets. The intended audiences will find this an outstanding pick, with the eye-boggling scenario delivered with that ideal, dark edge, and only a pause in proceedings for lashings and lashings of seaside chippy chips.

BRILLIANT. I’ve been a fan of Fiona’s writing for years so I was already very excited for this book. It didn’t disappoint!

It’s very fast-paced, very witty, and has a solid thread of friendship holding it all together. The mystery plot is exciting and never loses pace, and I actually found myself holding my breath at the tension at some points. I honestly couldn’t put it down and raced through it in an afternoon.

A charming middle grade story that I think is also funny and interesting enough for young adults and grown ups. HUGE thumbs up.

Plus: bonus points for chips and golden retrievers.

Thanks Netgalley and Nosy Crow publishing for the ARC. I’ve already ordered my very own paperback copy and can’t wait to read it all over again!

Enjoyed this fast-paced children's mystery as Lily and her new friends, Sam & Jay, follows the clues to find Emily.

A great middle grade mystery that is full of brilliant characters, in a gorgeous setting and was totally compelling. The twists and turns make it a fast paced read.
I really enjoyed it and actually read it in one go as I couldn't stop reading once I had started.

A dark mystery, a dastardly villain and three quirky friends who are determined to get to the bottom of things. Couldn’t even stop for a cup of tea and it did not disappoint!

I loved Looking For Emily - it was so quick paced and I was hooked on the idea of a little quirky museum about a missing person.

The description was fabulous - having been to many seaside towns with windy little streets, it was easy to conjure up the image and place myself there and the suspense was perfectly executed!

Overall, this was a fantastic little mystery that had me hooked. My only downside is that maybe the characters were a little two dimensional but I think spending time on the development would have detracted from the story and sometimes you actually don’t need too much depth.

Looking for Emily by Fiona Longmuir.

My daughter devoured this one! Read it in a couple of hours and nothing would distract her when reading.

Review from my 8 year old ( a voracious bookworm):

Lily and Sam become best friends when Lily moves to a town called Edge. Together they try to find out about a girl called Emily who vanished from Edge twenty years ago.
I thought this book was very mysterious and kept me guessing when I was reading. I really liked the characters, my favourite was Sam.
Five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommend for age 8-12

With the feels of Nancy Drew mixed with Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven this book is a win for young and older alike. Perfect for middle grade readers.
Three 12 year old friends Lilly, Sam and Jay set off on a mysterious adventure. They follow the clues, they run into trouble, they get grounded, but they don’t give up. They have a mystery to solve and they are going to solve it, nothing can get in their way.
I loved reading this. I felt like a little girl again, tucked up in bed reading my Nancy Drew books, completely convinced I was going to be just like her. I hope there will be more stories of the three friends, they were amazing.

Compelling seaside mystery adventure that will be very popular with my readers. Sympathetic characters, very clear setting and a fast-paced plot. My favourite thing about this book was the 'Museum of Emily' concept. As someone who has kept a box of random childhood 'treasures' of the kind featured in the Museum I found this idea very appealing. I'll be asking my readers what would be on display in their 'Museum' I think! A solid MG mystery, perfect for summer reading.

Absolultely loved this fast-paced mystery as an adult and have no doubts that middle grade readers will be completely absorbed by this! It reminded me of my old Nancy Drew stories and Secret Seven/Famous Five too and there's absolutely room for lots more adventures to be had in the seaside town of Edge!

There were some really clever plot twists and lots of mystery and tension from the beginning - simply loved the idea of the 'Museum of Emily', and it certainly had me guessing throughout as to how everything was linked. Thought the friendship between Lily, Sam and Jay was well written and explored too. I'll definitely be wanting to read a sequel!

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

Looking for Emily
By Fiona Longmuir
Published by Nosy Crow

What a great, gripping first novel from Fiona Longmuir who writes from the heart!
Full of twists and turns, this mystery adventure takes you on a journey like no other.

Twelve-year-old Lily moves to the sleepy seaside town of Edge, where she is convinced nothing exciting is ever going to happen. However, stumbling upon a secret museum hidden in the middle of town, is the turning point to the novel.. what does it mean? Who does it belong to? Why is it here?
The Museum of Emily is filled with someone’s belongings, a girl who, many years ago, disappeared without a trace. But it is with the help and determination of her new friends Sam and Jay, that Lily is curious to solve the mystery and find out who Emily was, why she disappeared and what the strange, hidden museum really means.

Read this curiosity, seaside adventure which consolidates firm friendships and escapism.

Joanne Bardgett - Year 3 teacher of littlies, lover of books
#Netgallery
# nosycrow

When I first started reading Looking For Emily, I was reminded of other books where a city kid has moved to a small seaside town, and hoped it wasn't going to be much the same. Nothing is further from the truth. The 'one-of-a-kind mystery' lives up to its billing!

Fiona Longmuir brilliantly recreates the hidden depths of an old smuggling community, complete with false fronts and secret passages. It's the ideal setting for a thrilling mystery that takes many twists before it all turns out well. But there are still more secrets that emerge in the end.

It's beautifully written; I loved the changing attitudes of Lily - and her friends Sam and Jay - who are pretty much the village oddities themselves, until Lily turns up.

With a complex plot skilfully executed, it may well be one of the best middle grade books of 2022 - but it has a lot of competition, even in my lists!

I'll always take seriously middle grade published by Nosy Crow. They publish the kind of books I enjoyed as a child, books with good plots, real characters and well-constructed prose. Looking for Emily by Fiona Longmuir ticks all of those boxes and more.

Lily is new to Edge, a small seaside town, and is finding it hard to adapt after life in the city. Everything seems so strange and so different. Then she stumbles across the Museum of Emily and discovers a mystery. With her new friends Sam and Jay she sets about finding out who Emily was and what became of her.

I enjoyed this very much and could see and feel the sea as I read it. Edge felt real too and I'd be happy to revisit it for another story.

Nosy Crow are bringing out such great books at the moment, and this is another one. Absolute page-turner with great characters and a story that makes you want to keep reading. This is a definite for my school reading newsletter.

This story is a bit of a detective-mystery story, suited to older kids and teens. I found it very exciting and it kept me guessing, always thinking about the clues and trying to predict what the characters would do next. It was well written, with lots of momenta packed with tension.

The story itself is about a young girl who moves from the city to a small, seaside town. She discovers the museum of Emily, and alongside her friends tries to find out more about who this mysterious character is. By following the clues they rediscover Emily and reunite her with her family, but not without facing several dangers along the way.