In the tradition of Lemony Snicket and N. E. Bode, this is a book whose narrator inserts himself as a character -- and what a character he is! He hopes you won't read his story, but he can't help writing it anyway. He censors out the real names and locations involved in his story, even going as far as replacing a whole chapter with strings of Xes. He incorporates puzzles, codes, and vocab-building exercises into his story. He tries to warn you (tongue in cheek) not to read on, and continuously breaks the "fourth wall" to confide in you as you follow his characters' adventures.

But the characters themselves, and their adventures, are more like those created by Blue Balliett: two (or three) quirky kids who solve a mindblowing mystery together, using non-traditional methods of detection.

Cass is a survival expert who is always prepared for any kind of disaster, often predicting tragedies that never happen. This makes her a bit of a loner. But in spite of her many fears, she is really brave. Brave enough to try to get to solve a local magician's mysterious death all by herself.

She doesn't want Max-Ernest as her partner. Max-Ernest is also a bit of loner, because he talks nonstop. Seriously! Even his parents think there's something wrong with him. Nevertheless, they get pulled into the mystery together. And it's a good thing for Cass, because Max-Ernest has a streak of common sense in him that she lacks, and things quickly become too dangerous for one little girl to handle on her own.

By "things" I mean a chest full of tiny bottles known as the Symphony of Smells; the notebook of a circus-performing magician who could see music and hear smells; the kidnapping of an elementary-school artistic genius who may or may not be a useless prat; a woman whose voice makes your blood run cold; and a beauty spa where a strange cult performs ancient evil rituals in order to stay forever young. At the end of the book, it seems our young detectives are only starting a promising career in thwarting bad guys and uncovering deep, dark secrets.

Are we any closer to guessing who Pseudonymous Bosch is? No. There is an uncomfirmed rumor that he's really Edie Bilmann, but that name means nothing to me and it might be a red herring. But here's a guarantee: if you enjoy a mystery that gives you the creeps, the giggles, and ideas in equal amounts, you'll breeze right through this book and come out hungry for the sequel, titled If You're Reading This, It's Too Late.

Robbie Fischer
USA

Recommended Age: 10+

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