Monday, August 17, 2020

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday # MMGM Book Review: Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur Bradley

Five mysterious invitations go out to an eclectic group of people asking them to join a special event at the Barclay Hotel. When JJ sees his mom’s invitation he knows it’s his chance to get into the old hotel to do some ghost hunting. He has a lot of cool equipment and he’s been excited to try it out. Since his mother owes him one- it’s time to cash in. Penny is visiting her grandfather, a retired detective, and is intrigued by the old hotel.
Her grandfather wants to get away and be pampered, so Penny convinces him that this is his chance. Once the invitees and the “stragglers” (the two extra kids) are at the hotel, the butler, Mr. Clark, announces that they are all there because one of them is the murderer of Mr. Barkley. And here begins the whodunit! It’s a murder mystery with some interesting suspects. Was it the CEO? The actress? The librarian or cowboy? It seems possible it could be any of them, except JJ knows his mom didn’t do it. Penny and JJ meet up with Emma, a child who lives at the hotel, and the three of them are on the case. JJ wants to clear his mom’s name and Emma and Penny want to help catch the killer. Can the three sleuths solve the case? Will the murderer strike again? Is everyone who they say they are? And are there really any ghosts at the Barclay Hotel? Will JJ get to do any ghost hunting? You’ll have to read along and spot the clues as they are unveiled. 

Midnight at the Barclay Hotel is not the first book that I’ve read by Fleur Bradley. I also read her Double Vision series, and we were lucky enough to interview her twice on our blog back then. Midnight at the Barclay Hotel reminded me of a modern day The Westing Game, but easier to understand. My teacher read The Westing Game to our class last year and most kids thought it was too confusing. There were way too many characters and it was hard to keep track of everything. My teacher was disappointed, but I’m going to recommend this one to her because I think it’s a whodunit book that other kids will love too! JJ, Penny, and Emma have a fast friendship, but it seems to make sense and is believable. They all have their own strengths and interests, which makes them intriguing. All of them are kids I would be friends with (and they'd all be perfect members of my own detective squad, The DMS).  I thought the ghost hunting was a cool aspect of the book, and I loved all the tools JJ has. I also liked trying to narrow down who had committed the murder. I highly recommend this to kids in third grade and up who like mysteries, the game of Clue, or any other book in which you try to solve a crime. It’s a murder mystery without being scary or gory. This book was a lot of fun and it had a great ending!

Has anyone else read Midnight at the Barclay Hotel? Or have you read another book by Fleur Bradley? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!

~ L

 For other MMGM posts, please visit Greg Pattridge's blog.

We'll be on a blog break until September. Happy Reading! Enjoy the rest of the summer. 🌞

40 comments:

  1. It sounds like fun.
    I sympathise on the too many characters front too. I have frequently got quite confused - and it is decidedly offputting.

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    1. EC- It is a lot of fun! Perfect for people who get a bit confused with lots of characters thrown in the mix. :) ~L

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  2. This sounds wonderful, I think all kids old and young will enjoy it. Have a safe and happy week, hugs, Valerie

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    1. Valerie- I think so too! Hope you are well! :) ~L

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  3. Sounds like a fun tale for kids and not too confusing.

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  4. This is new to me - and sounds like a ton of fun!!

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  5. Thank you for featuring MIDNIGHT AT THE BARCLAY HOTEL! I hope kids (and teachers) get to enjoy it :)

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    1. YA Sleuth- We are so happy to be part of your blog tour and to share our thoughts about Midnight at the Barclay Hotel. Best of luck! :) ~L

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  6. Sounds like a delightful mystery for kids.

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  7. This sounds like a fun story that a lot of kids will enjoy!

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  8. I read the review on someone else's blog a few weeks ago and reserved it at the library. I think I'm #2 and can't wait to read it after reading your review.

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    1. Natalie- Love that you reserved it at your library. Can't wait to hear your thoughts. :) ~L

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  9. I'm glad we agree this is a fun mystery. I enjoyed it and have passed my copy off to an 11 year old who is giving it an enthusiastic thumbs up. Thanks for featuring Fleur's newest book on MMGM.

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    1. Greg- It's always fun to find out you enjoy the same book as someone else. Love that you passed your copy on to an 11 year old and they enjoyed it too. Awesome! :) ~L

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  10. Interesting plot. Sounds like a fun read. I usually don't read mysteries. I am always anxious trying to figure them out lol.

    Betty

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    1. Betty- I can see being anxious during a mystery. I do love them myself, but there are different books for different people. :) ~L

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  11. Ooh, this sounds really good! I actually liked the Westing Game as a kid, but then when I reread it to my own kids a few years ago, I thought it was pretty confusing. I really enjoy whodonits and so do my sons, so this is definitely going on the list!

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    1. Jenni- Enjoy! It's interesting that our thoughts and opinions about books can change when we reread or share a book with others. I know my teacher felt the same way that you did. I agree whodonits are fun! :) ~L

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  12. This sounds like a great book! I love MG mystery novels (especially the books by Robin Stevens), although I didn't love The Westing Game either (I actually never finished it). Thanks for the great review!

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    1. Completley Full Bookshelf- So glad to hear you love mysteries too and I can understand not finishing The Westing Game. I really enjoyed Midnight at the Barclay Hotel. :) ~L

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  13. This is a new one for me, but I like a good mystery . Will take a look. Thanks.

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  14. I do love a mystry and this sounds like a good one. I'll put this on my TBR list. Thanks for a fun review.

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    1. Rosi- I think you will really enjoy it! Happy reading! :) ~L

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  15. I'm a fan of mysteries and hope my granddaughter picks up the whodunit bug. Definitely plan to share this one with her. Hugs and hope you're doing well! RO

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    1. Ro- I hope your granddaughter picks up the whodunit bug too. :) I think she will enjoy this one for sure! ~L

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  16. This does sound fun.
    The grandchildren do often read a mystery story.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Jan- You betcha it's fun and intriguing! :) ~L

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    1. Mary- I am so glad it sounds good to you! :) ~L

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  18. I'm so glad this turned out to be every bit as good as the cover promised.

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