Notebook Mysteries ~ Decisions and Possibilities by Kimberly Mullins – Review by Francis O’Sullivan

Notebook Mysteries ~ Decisions and Possibilities by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Decisions and Possibilities is the second book in Kimberly Mullins’ Notebook Mysteries series. It’s a fast-paced historical mystery, set in 1880s Chicago, that will keep readers on the edge of their seats!

I’m new to this series but definitely want to go back and read book one, Emma, to properly get to know the characters. There’s a wonderful found family of characters at the centre of the book, investigating mysteries and looking out for each other.

A particular stand out feature of this story is that rather than focusing on one main mystery Emma and her friends investigate a bunch of different things that come up as the story progresses. Sometimes one thing leads to another, or something pops up unexpectedly. Always observant, Emma is good at telling when things aren’t right!

This book leaves readers with plenty of homework to do, including several recipes to try the food that the characters are seen eating (I can’t wait to try a few of them!) and some classic adventure books which Emma recommends to a young pick pocket she encounters on a trip to New York. Great ways to engage readers further with the time period!

Mullins paints a great picture of the historical setting, with plenty of detail in all areas! In this book we meet photographer Jake, and learn lots about the cameras and technology available at the time.

This book gets five stars from me! I’d definitely recommend it to teenage fans of historical fiction and mysteries. If you like Enola Holmes, this is a great series for you!

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