The Cozy Chess Club just loves Halloween! Meeting together to have fun at their school club, Jasmine, Dondre, Abbie, and Zack each wear fabulous costumes in honor of the spooky festival day. Halloween gets even better when the Chess Club learns that a Grandmaster, one of the best chess players in the world, is coming to their school! But when a precious item goes missing, it’s up to the four kids to solve the mystery before their beloved teacher’s heart is broken forever. And this Halloween, the Cozy Chess Club finds that they are swiftly running out of time.

No time for Halloween: The Frankenstein-Dracula Defense by Victoria Winifred is an intriguing installment in the Cozy Chess Club Mysteries series. This is my first experience with the series, and I had very little trouble keeping the characters straight after the first few pages. I love Dondre’s flair, Jasmine’s intelligence, Abbie’s can-do attitude, and Zack’s shy heroism. Each page of this highly engaging story is simply full of life. Every character and situation is described so well that it’s almost like watching a movie. I also loved that I got to learn something new, as the author takes the time to put chess moves based on real-life chess scenarios into the book without a shred of boredom, and I like that there is so much about life that can be learned from this classic game. I highly recommend this charming story for its exceptional descriptions, engaging storytelling, and valuable educational elements.

No Time for Halloween: the Frankenstein-Dracula Defense is short and sweet, perfect for ages seven and up and all who love classic children’s detective stories. A delightful tale that artfully weaves chess strategy into an amazing mystery, this book is a wonderful choice for reading on a rainy summer afternoon.

Pages: 90 | ASIN: B0CFX9QVD8