lspignese's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Yali Books for an e-ARC of this middle grade mystery. Set in Kerala, India this is a perfect mystery for middle grade readers. It's a great length (only 166 pages), and does a terrific job reinforcing the idea that there is more to a person's story than what you might believe.
kiranreadsalot's review
5.0
What a special little book filled with mystery and crime solving fun! I was so excited to see some authentic South Asian representation and this book does not disappoint. I grew up reading the like of The Famous Five and The Secret Seven so I felt as though I had been transported back to my youth! I even found myself reminiscing about time I spent abroad with my cousins and the mysteries we tried to solve! I simply adore this book! Each character is so full of life and the children are just the most curious and so smart following them on their adventure has been a real treat!
aanya12's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED IT!!
Basically the story follows 3 young detectives on a journey to find the jewelry thief and they manage too alright!!
Young kids will love this!
Plot=5 out of 5
Cover- 5 out of 5
Basically the story follows 3 young detectives on a journey to find the jewelry thief and they manage too alright!!
Young kids will love this!
Plot=5 out of 5
Cover- 5 out of 5
deadbookishsociety's review
4.0
It was such a fun and easy read , reminded me of everything warm and summery, from spending time with cousins to the food , even if I'm not from the southern part of indian, the Indian aspect was something that I really adored , while out 3 main characters were equally adorable having their character arcs so well written .
And the mystery itself was really nice for a middle grade book . Definitely would come back to it time and again whenever I wanna read something fun , cute and homely
And the mystery itself was really nice for a middle grade book . Definitely would come back to it time and again whenever I wanna read something fun , cute and homely
bohemianbibliophile's review
5.0
I have grown up on a generous dose of Enid Blytons. Famous Five, Five Find-Outers, and Secret Seven. Into my teens, I switched to Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys. Kids and teens solving mysteries were always a part of my regular reads.
A Mystery at Lili Villa is a delightful story of three sleuthing preteens. Siblings Arj and Mira and their city cousin Tam. It is based in Elathoor, a little village in Kerala where everyone knows everyone. There is a theft in the house and the three kids decide to solve the crime on their own. And as always, warnings by adults have little or no effect.
I generally don’t pick up middle-grade books but there was something about the blurb that appealed to me. Reading it was a trip down memory lane.
Read the complete review at https://bohemianbibliophile.com/blog-tour-a-mystery-at-lili-villa-by-arathi-menon-book-review/
A Mystery at Lili Villa is a delightful story of three sleuthing preteens. Siblings Arj and Mira and their city cousin Tam. It is based in Elathoor, a little village in Kerala where everyone knows everyone. There is a theft in the house and the three kids decide to solve the crime on their own. And as always, warnings by adults have little or no effect.
I generally don’t pick up middle-grade books but there was something about the blurb that appealed to me. Reading it was a trip down memory lane.
Read the complete review at https://bohemianbibliophile.com/blog-tour-a-mystery-at-lili-villa-by-arathi-menon-book-review/
sahibooknerd's review
4.5
I got the arc of this little middle grade mystery novel on a whim, because I hardly pick up MG these days. But I do remember seeing it a few times on Yali Books’s Twitter account and thought why not.
And this turned out to be so fun and entertaining. I think this book is a perfect crossover for Children’s and Middle Grade readers, providing the innocence for younger readers as well as the adventure elements for budding teenagers. And as an avid reader of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series in my childhood, I couldn’t resist reading this one. Though it felt younger, the vibes were very similar to FF and I enjoyed it so much, as well as kept wishing I had these kind of desi books when I was that age. The writing is simple and fast paced, and the author immerses us so deeply in the story that we completely believe in the talents of the little child detectives. Just in such a short book, I could feel the atmosphere of Elathoor, get to know the whole cast of quirky characters better, and also fall in love with the three tenacious cousins who were so brave and determined to find the truth, even if a tad bit reckless.
To conclude, this is a cute and interesting little mystery novel that I think kids will really enjoy, and I would definitely recommend to any desi parents who have kids in this age range. It’s a cool change instead of always going for the Enid Blyton or Nancy Drew classics. There is a hint at the end that this might turn out to be a series with the three cousins turned sleuths, and I couldn’t be more excited for the next installment.
salesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
E arc - NetGalley
3.5 stars
A Mystery at Lili Villa is a middle grade mystery book, set in the summer, that follows 3 young children, Tam, Mira and Arj, who all aspire to be detectives. One night some jewellery goes missing from their house and they set out to try and find the thief. They look at many suspects; are they guilty or not guilty? There are some thrilling and exciting scenes in this book when they get close to finding the thief, along with some close calls along the way! Perfect for someone in their late years of primary school or perhaps even early years of secondary school.
I loved the short chapters in this book that kept me reading. The mystery isn’t very large scale but it is still exciting and simple to follow along to try and solve the mystery alongside the characters. I was drawn to this book initially by the beautiful cover and the fact it is based in a tropical country which is different to many of the books I normally read which tend to be based where I live, or similar, this added to the story to create a lovely, happy atmosphere and is a perfect summer read.
There are a variety of suspects in this book which took me a while to remember who was who, but I got to grips with it towards the end as there were a few lists/reminders along the way.
Overall, this book was a really lovely read although would be better enjoyed when read by someone younger, in this book’s age range. The mystery was moderate but works well for a younger child’s first mystery book.
3.5 stars
A Mystery at Lili Villa is a middle grade mystery book, set in the summer, that follows 3 young children, Tam, Mira and Arj, who all aspire to be detectives. One night some jewellery goes missing from their house and they set out to try and find the thief. They look at many suspects; are they guilty or not guilty? There are some thrilling and exciting scenes in this book when they get close to finding the thief, along with some close calls along the way! Perfect for someone in their late years of primary school or perhaps even early years of secondary school.
I loved the short chapters in this book that kept me reading. The mystery isn’t very large scale but it is still exciting and simple to follow along to try and solve the mystery alongside the characters. I was drawn to this book initially by the beautiful cover and the fact it is based in a tropical country which is different to many of the books I normally read which tend to be based where I live, or similar, this added to the story to create a lovely, happy atmosphere and is a perfect summer read.
There are a variety of suspects in this book which took me a while to remember who was who, but I got to grips with it towards the end as there were a few lists/reminders along the way.
Overall, this book was a really lovely read although would be better enjoyed when read by someone younger, in this book’s age range. The mystery was moderate but works well for a younger child’s first mystery book.
the_bibliophilic_world's review
5.0
The Mystery at Lilli Villa is a story that takes place in Kerala, India, and is a delightful children's mystery.
Tam is spending the summer holidays with her cousins Arj and Mira in Elathoor, a small village in Kerala, when their family house, Lili Villa, is broken into and some jewelry is stolen.
Tam hears mysterious footsteps in the middle of the night at Lilli Villa. Terrified, she goes back to sleep, but the next morning she tells her cousins about it. They soon discover footprints outside and when they tell their parents this, it is soon found that Sheila Ammayi’s (Arj and Mira's mother) jewels have been stolen.
Thombu, a local cop, is summoned, and he quickly discovers not one, but a slew of people whose shoe sizes match the strange pattern both inside and out. Even though they had been forewarned against it, the youngsters chose to investigate on their own and quickly uncover more than one secret.
This was a wonderfully sweet, delightful book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
As a fan of mysteries, I enjoyed seeing the youngsters work together to solve the mystery.
There's a glossary at the end of the book, which is helpful for defining foods and other terms that many readers won't be familiar with.
Tam is spending the summer holidays with her cousins Arj and Mira in Elathoor, a small village in Kerala, when their family house, Lili Villa, is broken into and some jewelry is stolen.
Tam hears mysterious footsteps in the middle of the night at Lilli Villa. Terrified, she goes back to sleep, but the next morning she tells her cousins about it. They soon discover footprints outside and when they tell their parents this, it is soon found that Sheila Ammayi’s (Arj and Mira's mother) jewels have been stolen.
Thombu, a local cop, is summoned, and he quickly discovers not one, but a slew of people whose shoe sizes match the strange pattern both inside and out. Even though they had been forewarned against it, the youngsters chose to investigate on their own and quickly uncover more than one secret.
This was a wonderfully sweet, delightful book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
As a fan of mysteries, I enjoyed seeing the youngsters work together to solve the mystery.
There's a glossary at the end of the book, which is helpful for defining foods and other terms that many readers won't be familiar with.
samthebibookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely enjoyed the mystery, it was light hearted, modern and amazing
Arj, Mira and Tam set of to solve the mystery when the gold from the house is stolen. They go on adventures, have amazing experience, make friends and solve the case faster than the professional detectives!!
I absolutely adored Mira, her character arc was beautiful by the end she became strong and wasn't afraid of anything , Arj the oldest and the leader and Tam who came to Elthoor for a summer vacation!!
And I loved the refrence from South India, there are mentions of food, culture and the language!!
Arj, Mira and Tam set of to solve the mystery when the gold from the house is stolen. They go on adventures, have amazing experience, make friends and solve the case faster than the professional detectives!!
I absolutely adored Mira, her character arc was beautiful by the end she became strong and wasn't afraid of anything , Arj the oldest and the leader and Tam who came to Elthoor for a summer vacation!!
And I loved the refrence from South India, there are mentions of food, culture and the language!!
bibliosini's review
4.0
Many thanks to Lonely Pages Book Tour, the publisher and the author for providing me with a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Full review is on my blog!
A Mystery in Lili Villa is a wonderful South Asian middle-grade mystery novel that reminded me of my own childhood reading Enid Blyton mysteries. A Mystery at Lili Villa is a valuable addition to the South Asian middle-grade literature shelves in libraries that would enthrall children with its authentic descriptions of culture, food and life in India that is both relatable and fun at heart.
Full review is on my blog!
A Mystery in Lili Villa is a wonderful South Asian middle-grade mystery novel that reminded me of my own childhood reading Enid Blyton mysteries. A Mystery at Lili Villa is a valuable addition to the South Asian middle-grade literature shelves in libraries that would enthrall children with its authentic descriptions of culture, food and life in India that is both relatable and fun at heart.