Friday Barnes 14: Nothing to Lose by R.A. Spratt

Nothing to Lose is the fourteenth Friday Barnes book from R.A. Spratt, the Australian author of Nanny Piggins and The Peski Kids. Friday is an eleven-year-old detective, brilliant at solving cases and hopeless at working out her own love life. Each book stands on its own, though the romance thread reads better in order.

This time Friday is back in Manhattan, distracted by whether or not Ian has actually broken up with her, and trying to lose herself in the world of street chess. It does not last. The Prince of Denmark asks her on a date, Interpol tells her to say yes, and she ends up at a Broadway opening of Hamlet, guarding the Danish crown jewels and her own heart at the same time.

Funny, fast middle-grade mystery for readers around 8 to 12, and a good one for kids who like a clever detective and a laugh. For fans of Enola Holmes.