Blog tour: The Nancys and the Case of the Missing Necklace by R.W.R. McDonald
This post is part of a blog tour organised by Random Things Blog Tours. I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
‘Tippy Chan is 11 years old, and she lives in a small town in a very quiet part of New Zealand – the town her Uncle Pike escaped as a teenager, the moment he got a chance. Now Pike is back with his new boyfriend Devon to look after Tippy while her mum is on a Christmas cruise.
‘Tippy can’t get enough of her uncle’s old Nancy Drew books. She wants to be Nancy and is desperate to solve a real mystery. So, when her teacher’s body is found beside Riverstone’s only traffic light, it looks like Tippy’s moment has arrived. She and her minders form The Nancys, a secret detective club.
‘But what starts as a bonding and sightseeing adventure quickly morphs into something far more dangerous. A wrongful arrest, a close call with the murderer, and an intervention from Tippy’s mum all conspire against The Nancys.
‘But regardless of their own safety, and despite the constant distraction of questionable fashion choices in the town that style forgot, The Nancys know only they can stop the killer from striking again.
‘Whatever the cost…’
In The Nancys and the Case of the Missing Necklace, by R.W.R. McDonald, we meet 11-year-old New Zealander Tippy Chan towards the end of a difficult year: her dad died in a tragic accident nine months previously. Her mum is off on a cruise for some much-needed R&R, leaving Tippy in the charge of her Uncle Pike and his boyfriend Devon, both over from Sydney.
As it transpires, the year isn’t done with Tippy yet. First, her daredevil friend Todd falls while scaling a through arch bridge, ending up comatose in the ICU. Then, her teacher Ms Everson is found dead and decapitated near their small town’s only traffic light. Suspicion falls on another teacher, Miss Homer (Sally), but Pike – who went to school with Sally – is convinced she’s innocent.
Thus, the trio, inspired by the Nancy Drew novels beloved by both Tippy and Pike, start their own investigation. Tippy’s local knowledge and the couple’s charm help them elicit information from relevant townspeople and come up with alternative scenarios and suspects, with a focus on the titular necklace – which Ms Everson habitually wore, but wasn’t found with her body. But are the amateur sleuths biting off more than they can chew by involving themselves in such a serious case?
Featuring an intriguing mystery, larger-than-life characters, very funny scenes, observations, and conversations, and a highly engaging young narrator, I found a lot to enjoy in The Nancys!
As someone who devoured mystery stories as a child (albeit Enid Blyton’s Famous Five/Secret Seven/Five Find-Outers and Dog series rather than Nancy Drew) and yearned for investigatory opportunities of my own, Tippy was always going to win my heart. Her voice is quirky, entertaining, and brilliantly observant, but we never lose sight of her recent shocks or inherent vulnerability.
In fact, McDonald has perfectly captured the duality of being 11 years old. For example, Tippy has picked up the essential facts of anatomy and sex, but her uncles’ jokes and innuendoes go right over her head, and romantic/sexual interest in others is yet to kick in (her two best friends are boys, and it really bothers her when anyone suggests she likes them “in that way”). She’s also had to grow up a lot in the months since her dad died, but at the same time needs the levels of comfort and reassurance any grieving child would require.
This is where Pike and Devon come in. Fun to be around, very camp, easily distracted, and a little irresponsible, as well as facilitating the trio’s unofficial investigation, they’re a breath of fresh air that helps Tippy open up about her feelings – something she’s been unable to do with her mum, who’s put away all the family photos and won’t talk with her about Tippy’s dad. While Tippy’s mum keeps her daughter small by not sharing certain information pertaining to her dad, Tippy protects her mum by not passing on things people have said to her about him.
Something else that really struck me about this book was its strong sense of place. As it can safely be assumed someone local dunit, and Pike and Devon are essentially tourists in Pike’s hometown – which is Tippy’s whole world – we get a real feel for its geography and people, as well as their history, connections, and secrets.
Accordingly, we get to know Tippy’s neighbours, the Browns, whose granddaughter is at the centre of what turns out to be an important subplot; Tippy’s best friend Sam, his doctor mother, and pathologist father; a slimy, yet prominent estate agent; a couple of unpleasant newshounds; and many more besides, all of whom are well-drawn and interesting to encounter.
The Nancys is a fun mystery novel that nonetheless packs a real emotional punch.
