Review by Booklist Review
Seventh-grader Maya Mendoza knows what it's like to get in trouble, so it's no surprise when she lands in detention. There, she sits with her ex-BFF Jordan, rich-girl Clementine, and good-girl Ava. Maya makes a deal with Principal Spade: if she helps him solve his mystery, then he will grant all the girls their freedom. The great mystery involves the Contraband Closet, a space where teachers have stashed items confiscated from students over the past several decades. Inventory varies from a seized cell phone to an ear-piercing gun to firecrackers, and even a rumored Academy Award. When the closet is found to be empty, Maya and her detention crew work through the clues to see where the items have gone. The girls learn all about the school's skeletons, including a secret card-trading ring and a spray-paint graffiti artist, as they narrow down the suspects. Typical middle-school drama is peppered into the Harriet the Spy--level sleuthing, though the relationship issues and tropes will still be relatable for older elementary-school students.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Moldavsky (Of Earthly Delights) makes her middle grade debut in this sharp series starter about an amateur detective who reveres adult investigators from classic noir movies. New Jersey seventh grader Maya's snooping lives in infamy, especially since an incident severed her friendship with BFF Jordan. In detention yet again, Maya uncovers a link between her "fellow inmates" Jordan, Clementine, and Ava: all three tweens have had something confiscated and tossed in the Contraband Closet, where students claim decades' worth of forbidden items languish. Lucky for them, Maya knows how to break into it. But when the girls find the closet empty--and school principal Mr. Spade witnesses their B&E--the administrator presents an ultimatum: Maya and company must find the true perpetrator behind the missing objects within a month, or Maya faces suspension. Maya's maturation, rediscovery of the joys of friendship, and developing crush on spray painter Frito are heartfelt and grounding. Witty noir references add theatrical gravitas to the tenuous allies' ensuing investigation, which includes a hilarious retooling of traditional detective film settings, as when the group plies their school's "underground Legends gambling ring" for information. The cast is racially diverse. Ages 8--12. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (July)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Although snooping cost her a best friend and made her a social pariah, seventh grader Maya Mendoza is proud of her sleuthing abilities. But she's the prime suspect when she's caught (along with the former BBF and two other girls) breaking into the school's notorious Contraband Closet, which they find shockingly empty of confiscated items. Maya makes a deal: if the girls haven't nabbed the thief in a month, the principal "can toss [her] out of this school." Balancing hard-boiled detective tropes with relatable middle-school situations, this satisfying whodunnit features a likable and believably flawed protagonist. (c) Copyright 2025. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Best-selling YA author Moldavsky takes on organized crime at Marlowe Middle School in her middle-grade debut, a mystery series opener. Seventh grader Maya Mendoza is a sharp-witted, self-declared detective in Hillside, New Jersey. When the school's Contraband Closet is mysteriously emptied, Maya vows to crack the case. She tracks suspects and possible locations of the loot with the help of other kids sent to detention by Principal Spade: Ava Agarwal, Clementine Steffin-Paller, and Jordan Freeman. Jordan is Maya's ex-bestie, and she hopes their shared investigation will mend their broken friendship. As she helps to uncover crooked kids and compromised adults, Maya embodies the flawed, disillusioned sleuth pursuing corruption and gangster-style crime--while also navigating a first crush, the ups and downs of tween social interactions, and the changes brought about by divorce. Maya and her crew take on an illegal card ring, nab a vandal, and get into (and out of) plenty of scrapes. Each member of their new club, the Bubblegum Shoes, brings a distinct skill set, setting up a rich cast for the next book. From the start, snappy dialogue and stylized narration channel classic film noir. While the evocative, staccato, early-20th-century-style cadence may at first be challenging for some readers to adjust to, the author delivers a fun, action-packed caper. The cover art and characters' names suggest a diverse cast. A witty story full of humor, mystery, and friendship.(Mystery. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
