Teodora’s Book Reviews: “Mina Mistry (Sort of) Investigates – The Case of the Disappearing Pets” by Angie Lake (Sweet Cherry Publishing, Leicester, 2021)

I surely didn’t expect Mina Mistry to return that quickly with a brand new case (or maybe it’s just a matter of time perception). As I was reading the second book of the series – meant to be published next year, in February – I began to trace a slightly different pattern in terms of observations and relationships with other characters (compared to the first story, The Case of the Disgusting School Dinners – you can read its review here). This is actually a smart technique, in order to surprise your readers, while preserving Mina’s essence.

At the core of the plot, we are dealing, once again, with a real ongoing issue, specifically violated animal rights. Young readers are cleverly introduced to notions such make-up testing on animals, unfavorable conditions in pet shops and possible exploitation of one’s pets (once they have their own social media accounts). Nothing is brutally enforced upon children, they are briefly presented the main sources of animal cruelty. Small beneficial steps are also suggested as the story progresses and Mina, alongside her friends, pay extra attention to their behaviors towards their suddenly disappearing pets.

It is much appreciated that Angie Lake manages to maintain a genuine child-like perspective (and show us that Mina can simultaneously become mature). As serious as the cases may turn out to be, the young detective’s approach will still make readers recall their own playtime memories, the extreme missions they would embark on and their thorough dedication towards “saving the day”. We are never steering away from that environment filled up with creative children. For instance, during the Showcase Your Pets week at school, Mina and other colleagues reveal their resourcefulness, without overcomplicating anything (as an adult would), by preparing projects about homemade pets (shoes with faces), a hamster whose favorite thing is to pose for photos (simple, isn’t it?) or a panda plush who happens to enjoy extreme sports. We also encounter what I would call “innocently honest” children, who deal with more serious situations in their own conscious manner – an example is a girl who plainly talks about her rabbit’s battle with a disease in front of the entire school, apparently omitting to focus on her pet’s favorite activity. After receiving the respective feedback from a teacher, she gives a sincere touching answer – “Sorry. Mr Bunnykins’ favorite thing was not being dead.” – making readers aware of a certain bravery characteristic to children, a special way of dealing with reality. Unfortunately, however, in one such environment, adults intervene and tend to spoil the fun or miss the point one way or another.

Needless to say, among people of all sorts, Mina Mistry stands out from the crowd – that is to say, she is bound to stand out in her own story. This remark makes even more sense if we also point out the surprising (and pleasant) appearance of Danny Dingle, another separate character created by Angie Lake (as part of the Danny Dingle series), within Mina’s world, as a fellow schoolmate. Danny is a little superhero in his universe, whereas in this new context, he cannot help but be a few steps behind the alert detective.

Once you meet Mistress of Mystery herself (as I dubbed Mina Mistry in my previous review), you have no other impulse than to follow her and be intrigued of what may pop out of her head. There may be an amusingly contradictory thought of hers, the fact that she treats her best friend, Mr Panda, as someone with feelings and interests, and yet she is briefly confused by how Holly Loafer claims she has been working with Harriet the hamster on their project. A similarly funny reinterpretation of an abbreviation may occur and bring a smile on your face (APB goes from All-Points Bulletin to the ingenious Absent Pet Bulletin). Perhaps Mina’s status updates will help you resonate with her (“Status: Feeling a bit sorry for myself”). Or maybe you want to stick around as much as possible due to her mysterious father, who drops helpful hints in his short scenes and leaves his mark through catchphrases such as “Loose lips sink ships”. Nevertheless, each reader has one reason or more to go from one page to another, thanks to Mina’s overall inviting attitude. In the best way possible, she is far from being, to quote her, “one sandwich short of a picnic” (look that up, you won’t stop using it).