I've always had a bit of a "thing" for Detective Noir stories, and for years I've always thought there was a bit of a gap in the market for a children's version of a classic Sam Spade type story, written cleverly and illustrated cleverly enough so that you can't help reading it without slipping into a sort of Bogart-like monologue.
"Pigeon P.I" by Meg McLaren is the book, THE book that I would love to have written - purely because it captures exactly what I'd be aiming to do, a crazy detective caper with enough humour and charm to win kids over.
Murray McMurray is a hard-boiled detective and there are some distinctly shady goings on in his town. His partner has upped and left, leaving Murray on his own.
A case drops into his lap, a tiny yellow canary called Vee wants to know why so many of her friends have gone missing. Before you can say "Maltese Falcon" Murray is embroiled in more than just the average missing persons case. Is this a case too tough to crack for our fedora-wearing hero?
It's beautifully put together this book, from the glorious detective-zap-board endpapers, to the characterisations (who all just happen to be birds, of course), and the fabulous twist and reveal as the book draws to a close.
We couldn't love this book more, truly. It's a brilliant little mystery with the most gorgeous noir-esque illustrations.
I tip my detective hat to you Meg, you've really done something rather fantastic here.
Charlotte's best bit: The big reveal - just who is the criminal mastermind behind the bird-napping?
Daddy's favourite bit: Chock full of atmosphere, if you're like me and love a bit of detective noir you are going to absolutely lap this up. It's utterly brilliant!
(Kindly supplied for review)
"Pigeon P.I" by Meg McLaren is out now, published by Andersen Children's Books.