I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective by Katie Siegel. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

In Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective, famous child detective Charlotte is grown-up now. She no longer goes by Lottie, she has an adult job, she doesn’t solve crimes anymore. Well, okay, so her family still sometimes calls her Lottie, and she just got laid off, and her brother just called to ask her to “poke around” about the strange notes constantly being left for his girlfriend Olivia on their apartment door. So Charlotte, though determinedly retired from her detective work and seeking a stable career, romance, and maturity, agrees with reluctance. She heads to New Jersey/New York to investigate, and quickly learns that there is more to this case than she suspected. The strange notes lead her to Olivia’s workplace, which is grappling with its own drama—a worker has been killed, and he was part of the unionizing efforts. The more Charlotte pokes around, the more she realizes that this is a real case with real danger. And investigating crimes as an adult comes with its own obstacles…

This is one of those books where you read the title and think “wanna bet?” Because obviously, Charlotte IS a detective. Still, this was really fun!

Charlotte is a relatable protagonist, in her early twenties and trying to get her life straightened out after graduating college. But the job market is almost impossible, and dating even more so, so she feels lost. However, she isn’t whiny or annoying about her tough situation, and is in fact pretty clever and entertaining. She’s observant—as one might imagine—but not a total modern Sherlock Holmes, as she herself points out. Her unwillingness to accept herself as an investigator is a little tiresome sometimes, but that’s probably only because I was aware that I was reading a mystery novel and assumed that she’d eventually come around to her calling.

The other characters are delightful. I loved her two best friends Gabe and Lucy, who are full of quips and quirks. Charlotte’s brother and his girlfriend are also fun, and all the character dynamics and backstories are realistic and layered. Hanging out with these people was so entertaining.

The mystery was cool, too. I didn’t think learning about the drama of a company dealing with its employees’ effort to form a union would be interesting, but it was—I imagine having one employee murdered and another missing helped hold my interest. But watching Charlotte interrogate the workers, trying to piece everything together along with her, was fun. I didn’t see the plot twist coming in its entirety, but I like that someone better at reading mysteries than me might have been able to crack the case. There was a compelling climax, too.

I also enjoyed the more personal aspects of the story, mainly about Charlotte and her relationships with her family and friends. Her struggles to define herself, since she is basically living in the shadow of her younger self, are intriguing. And the discussions about how to keep friends when everyone is on different career paths or at different stages of life are nuanced and emotional, very well-written overall.

In the end, Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective is a fun romp with a decent mystery and a wonderful cast. There’s humor, intrigue, and lots of heart. The cast is diverse and also hilarious. It’s an earnest examination of finding one’s path in life, about how to keep your loved ones even if you feel inadequate, and also about how companies need to treat their employees well unless they want a snarky Nancy Drew–type barging in. If you liked I Kissed Shara Wheeler or The Maid, this is probably a good book for you to try!

Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective is available now!