I loved The Resurrection of Tess Blessing, so I thought this would be no different since the main characters are Tess and Birdie. I didn't hate the book but I also didn't love it. I usually always love Lesley Kagen's books. I didn't fall in love with any of the characters and mostly found them annoying. Tessie repeated herself so much through the book. Louise was one of the worst mothers.

The book pretty much takes place over the course of a day, while the girls try to solve the murder of a missing nun. Tessie is pretty sure she saw a murder take place in the cemetery while staring out her bedroom window late one night. The next morning she finds out of a nun went missing. The whole book centers around the girls trying to solve the case of the missing nun, while running through the cemetery and trying to hide from their neighbor.

I found I enjoyed the last part of the book more than the beginning. There are definitely some funny parts in the book. You may love this book, so give it a try. If you enjoyed reading about Tess and Birdie in the previous books, you might also like this book. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author, Lesley Kagen, for a free electronic ARC of this novel. ( )

In a word, cute.

I loved the Finley sisters in their first book, The Undertaking of Tess, so there was never any doubt in my mind that I would read this one when it came out. They continuously make me chuckle. And I love the love they have for their dad.

In this book, Tess hears a scream in the cemetery and vaguely sees someone, someone tall, carrying a body... is it a dead body? Who screamed? Is it a murder mystery? That's exactly what Tess and The Mutual Admiration Society sets out to find. When the principal, Sister Mary Margaret, also turns up missing, this is just icing on the cake. Thanks to the librarian for adding the book Modern Detection to Tess's pile of books, it gives Tess all the detecting advice she needs to follow.

I liked it, I like the girls but the story dragged for me a little, it didn't want to hold my attention. ( )

Thanks to Goodreads for the Kindle giveaway edition of The Mutual Admiration Society.

Finley sisters Tess and Birdie team up with with their good friend Charlie to form the Mutual Admiration Society, a detective and blackmailing agency. The adventure begins as they try to solve the disappearance of the Catholic school's principal whom Tess has concluded has been murdered. Told through Tess's 10 year old point of view, the story is humorous and poignant. Tess struggles with the guilt of her father's accidental death and the heavy weight of taking care of her challenging sister as she tries to keep her family together. She worries enough to warrant having to eat Tums but she is a tough kid that is determined to keep fighting. Kagan does a wonderful job of balancing the humor and heartbreak. ( )

Precocious eleven-year-old Tessie Finley is the narrator of this heartwarming novel. In addition to her endless lists, she organizes The Mutual Admiration Society. Tessie believes she has witnessed a crime in her local cemetery. With the help of her trustworthy friend, Charlie, and her little sister Birdie, she intends to solve it.

Tessie narrates her story with a straightforward, no-nonsense, wise and witty voice. She does her very best to make sense of the world around her. And, she has a whole lot on her plate. Tessie is dealing with the sudden, tragic death of her father, an emotionally inaccessible mother, judgmental neighbors, and Birdie’s special needs. Yet, Tessie does it all with a very spirited, loving heart.

Author Lesley Kagen has also done it again. She has created a story that is both entertaining and heartwarming. Her attention to time and place is accurate and relevant. Tessie’s world of 1950s Milwaukee took me back to my similar childhood in Chicago. Sometimes, I felt I knew Tessie, other times I felt I was her! I could relate to her way of thinking, her determination, and her world.

As always, Lesley Kagen has created a story filled with characters you can care about. She understands and preserves the innocence of childhood. She respects the trust found in a child’s heart, sharing it in the natural way a child does.

Lesley Kagen is a very special author. She never disappoints. I have read each of her books and loved them all. If you have not read her books, you should. You are missing out on some very special reading. ( )