Publishers Weekly
02/27/2023
A rising sixth grader works to return a beloved object and stop a spate of bad luck in this quirkily plotted, Pacific Northwest–set whodunit from Brockenbrough (The Game of Love and Death). Every year, “charming but run-down” Urchin Beach takes in important funds by hosting a Dragonfly Day Festival, during which tourists can pay to replenish their own good fortune by twirling a special dragonfly-marked staff three times over their heads. But after a thief snatches the publicly displayed staff from the arms of a central Sasquatch statue, imperiling the annual source of income and seeding mistrust across the community, a deluge of ill-fated events besets the town. Amelia MacGuffin, who generally lacks “gumption even for the littlest things,” investigates the incident, gathering up a library book on detecting, advice from neighbor Dr. Agatha (a writer of murder mysteries featuring “death by unusual methods”), and help from her family and community. Third-person prose alternates perspectives between the unknown thief and Amelia, detailing thoughtful Amelia’s efforts alongside those of her more adventurous siblings, all of whom meanwhile fear losing a stray dog they’ve come to love. The myriad threads together create a cozy mystery aimed at the heart. Amelia and her family are white; secondary characters indicate racial diversity in the community. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Praise for To Catch a Thief
Winner of the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor
“To Catch a Thief is a page-turner of a mystery with a great big heart, and Amelia MacGuffin is the smart, funny kid sleuth we’ve all been waiting for. Readers will laugh and fall in love with the MacGuffin family as they follow the clues to crack this absolutely delightful case.” — Kate Messner, New York Times bestselling author of Blackout
“Get ready to have your heart stolen. With its wit and warmth, this treasure of a book deserves to be on every bookshelf next to the Penderwicks and Because of Winn-Dixie.” — Justina Chen, author of Lovely, Dark, and Deep
“To Catch a Thief isn’t just a fascinating and ever-deepening mystery. It’s also a testament to the power of telling the right story the right way, and the transformative love of an absurdly charming dog.” — Eliot Schrefer, New York Times bestselling author of the Lost Rainforest series
“This is the kind book I loved as a kid — and still love now. The kind you read once through to figure out the mystery and then over and over again so you can spend more time with Amelia and the rest of the MacGuffins, drinking proper hot chocolate, cuddling Doc, and solving thrilling crimes.” — Linda Urban, author of A Crooked Kind of Perfect
“To Catch a Thief is the coziest of mysteries, a love letter to families and neighbors, the story of a very good dog, and further proof that Martha Brockenbrough can write whatever kind of book she wants to — and do it superbly.” — Mike Jung, author of The Boys in the Back Row
“With a rare combination of wit and heart, Martha Brockenbrough crafts a charming mystery that celebrates the value of community, the power of finding your voice, and, best of all, the wonderful things that can happen when you have a very good dog at your side.” —Anne Ursu, author of The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy"To Catch a Thiefis a slice of small-town coziness." —New York Times Book Review
"A cozy mystery aimed at the heart." —Publishers Weekly
"This is a well-imagined, absorbing world, the story original and inviting. A sweet and satisfying mystery." —Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
2023-01-25
When things start to go missing in Urchin Beach, including a precious town symbol, Amelia and her brothers and sisters are determined to find the thief and save an honored tradition.
The Dragonfly Day Festival is a beloved event for Amelia MacGuffin’s family and many others. People come from all over to their small Pacific Northwest town to swing the wooden staff, which has a dragonfly-shaped mark on it, believing that three twirls over their heads will bring good luck into their lives. After the staff is stolen just days before the big celebration, a series of ill-timed misfortunes befalls the area. Family life unfolds against this backdrop. Amelia, who is about to start sixth grade, sits at the awkward and sacred intersection between childhood and young adulthood. She’s responsible, quick-witted, and introspective, a likable main character. Her siblings Bridget and Colin have their own useful and unique personality traits, and Duncan and Emma, the twin toddlers, are adorable tag-alongs. When a lovable dog they name Doc comes into their lives, the kids do everything they can to convince their parents to keep him, a journey that includes surprises. The central whodunit buoys readers along, the answer delightfully being both unpredictable and obvious. Amelia and her family are White; there is ethnic diversity among her friends and other secondary characters. This is a well-imagined, absorbing world, the story original and inviting.
A sweet and satisfying mystery. (Mystery. 8-12)
