This book was really cute. It's a fun little mystery in a haunted, but definitely not spooky, hotel. Perfect for kids who scare easily. I didn't like it as much as I thought (and hoped) I would. It did give me some feels and make me tear up at the end though. ( )

A fun weekend getaway turns into an unexpected murder mystery that will keep readers wanting to know more, A winner of many awards for juvenile fiction which made me even more excited to read and check it out, really nice message from the author on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Barclay-Hotel-Fleur-Bradley-ebook/dp/B08274W8GS , kids who love mysteries such as Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys will enjoy this book because of the similar nature, as indicated on the book, this read is best for kids ages 8-12. Older kids will enjoy it

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

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 was lucky enough to interview her twice on my blog back then. Midnight at the Barclay Hotel reminded me of a modern day The Westing Game, but easier to understand. The Westing Game is a whodunit with a lot of characters and clues for readers to sort out. I remembered reading it as a kid and enjoying it- but when I read it to my 5th grade class they hated it. They found the number of characters overwhelming and just too confusing. I tried to make it as exciting and accessible as I could, but in the end they didn't enjoy it very much. After reading this book- I think it would be the perfect book for teachers to introduce and explore the whodunit genre with their class. With less characters it will be much easier for kids to follow the story and try to sort out the clues. I think kids will really love the mystery and the chance to try to solve the crime. Lots of clues sprinkled in. 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. 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! ( )