Review: Case of the Pilfered Pearls

The Case of the Pilfered Pearls (The Shrew Detective #1)

By Margi Preus

New York: Amulet Books, 2026. Intermediate. 119 pages.

Detective Minerva Shrew prefers to keep her mystery solving to the woods where she lives. But when her cousin Tenacity comes to solicit her help to prevent a murder, Minerva breaks her rule of "woodland cases only" to journey from the forest to the human house to help. Sure enough, the lady of the house has lost a pearl necklace, and if it doesn't turn up, she's prepared to call an exterminator on all of the critters in her house. Minerva proves herself a shrewd shrew, as she carefully tracks down clues to save the critters and the day.

This short novel is dripping in charm, enhanced by lots of black and white illustrations. Minerva is the kind of character that becomes an instant star - she's smart, kind, and good with words. Her loquaciousness is the result of her unique wallpaper, pages of a dictionary cover her home and she shares new vocabulary liberally (with definitions added). Readers may also learn a little about pygmy shrews in general as they go. Did you know that these animals will die if they don't eat every hour? Young readers looking for books to bridge between short chapter books and more complex middle grade novels will really love this charming animal mystery. The spiritual successor to the Great Mouse Detective, this series opener is delightful.

Comments

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