[Review] The BEST Mistake Mystery by Sylvia McNicoll

My review of The BEST Mistake Mystery will follow after the publisher’s blurb

Some people count their blessings, but dogwalker Stephen Nobel counts mistakes.

Dogwalker extraordinaire Stephen Nobel can get a little anxious, but his habit of counting the mistakes he and everyone else makes calms him. His need to analyze gets kicked into hyperdrive after two crazy events happen in one day at school: the bomb squad blows up a backpack and someone smashes a car into the building.

To make things worse, that someone thinks Stephen can identify them. Stephen receives a threatening text. If he goes to the police, his favourite dogs, Ping and Pong, will get hurt. The pressure mounts when his new best friend, Renée, begs for Stephen’s help. Her brother has been charged with the crimes and she wants to clear his name.

Is it a mistake to give in to dognappers? How can he possibly save everybody? To find out, Stephen will have to count on all of his new friends.

Reading young adult or middle grade novels is something I love doing from time to time. As a mother of an anxious Tourette’s son, I try to find books that will appeal to him. Good books, that won’t be put down after reading just one chapter – you know exactly what I’m talking about !

Stephen, also anxious and perhaps with traits of obsessive-compulsion is the real hero of this story. He’s infinitely polite, a dog lover, perceptive and you could tell that his mind is working a mile a minute.

“You always see way more into things than other people do. With you on the case, we’re bound to find the real criminal.”

The BEST Mistake Mystery has a bit of everything in it, dogs, mystery, exploding backpacks and a bomb squad. But most importantly, it’s about friendship and family. No one gets hurts, it really is a feel good read. I obviously read this novel in a sitting, but at 160 pages, it is the perfect length for young readers.

“You are over thinking this Stephen” Renee says. “It’s one of my worst flaws,” I admit. “But it’s your best quality too. …”

My son often lists his mistakes or things that have went wrong in his day but sometimes those mistakes can be our BEST ones. I’m sure that we will have many things to talk about while reading The BEST Mistake Mystery together. I’m really looking forward to it ! Also be on the lookout for book two in the series; The ARTSY Mistake Mystery.

The BEST Mistake Mystery by Sylvia McNicoll
Published by Dundurn Press
Available now
160 pages
ISBN 978-1-45973-625-2