It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with a review of Secrets of the Broken House by Taryn Souders

Secrets of the Broken House by Taryn Souders
Publisher:  Sourcebooks for Young Readers
Format Read:  Paperback ARC 
Number of pages:   272 pages
Publishing:  January 6th, 2026
Source:  Publisher  

Opening Lines:  "I stopped my bike across the street from the run-down house and answered the question I knew Clemmie was about to ask."

In the small town of Everson, everyone suspects that Miss Geraldine's run-down house is haunted.  Even the old rowboat leaning against the siding has seen better days.   The place is in such bad shape that the mayor has threatened to have it condemned.

Tucker has his eye on the rowboat, hoping to fix it up so he can continue his passion for fishing.  So, when his friend Clemmie is asked to help clean up Miss Geraldine's property and prepare it for an auction, Tucker agrees to help in exchange for the rowboat. 

But when Tucker returns to collect it, he instead finds Miss Geraldine dead at the bottom of the stairs.  As an amateur sleuth, Tucker quickly recognizes that what everyone assumes is an accident might be a murder instead.  Although Miss Geraldine was considered mean by the town, and referred to as Miss fussy gussy, she didn't deserve to be murdered.

After speaking with his father, the chief of police, Tucker gets permission to examine the scene for clues.  With help from Sadie and Clemmie, he begins to interview the townspeople and track down leads, determined to uncover the truth about what really happened.

Everson has that small-town charm I absolutely adore.  Quiet streets, and a coffee shop and beauty salon serving as the town's hub for gossip. With Clemmie and Sadie's parents working in these two locations, it's easy to gather pieces of information listening in on the townspeople as they speculate on motives and reveal secrets.    It's the perfect backdrop for a classic detective mystery, plenty of suspects, quirky townsfolk, and a free-range for curious kids to explore.  I'd love to see more adventures with these kids. Ideal for younger mystery fans.   

I hope you'll check out all the other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge's blog HERE      

 **A huge thank you to Sourcebooks for the review copy in exchange for an honest review**