The Case of the Missing Moola

Gr 3–6—Club CSI is back and ready to solve the latest mystery at Woodlands Junior High. This time around, some of the money the seventh graders raised for their class trip to Washington, DC, has gone missing, and there are many suspects, so Corey, Ben, and Hannah take it upon themselves to find the culprit, using methods such as fingerprinting, deductive reasoning, and some guidance from a few teachers. The book is a fast read and kids interested in light detective stories will enjoy it, but there isn't a great deal of character development. Some of the youngsters come across as materialistic, and the amount of power given to those in the Club is pretty unrealistic. There is also a weird twist in the story that takes it from being about the stolen money to a larger, adult-run crime ring that seems like an afterthought. Purchase only where the first book is popular.—Elizabeth Swistock, Jefferson Madison Regional Library, VA