Simone LaFray and the Red Wolves of London, by S. P. O’Farrell, is the second book of the Simone LaFray Mysteries. Simone is a twelve-year-old spy for the French Ministry. After finding fame at the Chocolatiers’ Ball, Simone tries to fade into the shadows. But while she is attending school, a mission comes up. She goes undercover in London to find a missing junior spy, the OmniKey and gets entangled with the notorious Red Wolves. Among doing schoolwork, she questions her loyalty and helps her father open a second patisserie shop in London. Add in that the most popular boy in school has noticed her, and Simone has a lot to contend with.

As the second book in the series, the story stands independently. O’Farrell excellently wove enough information from the first book into this one to help readers understand the world and the backstory. Like other children’s series, this one has links to previous books and hints at new books, but each book is its own complete story that can be enjoyed.

I like that Simone is the awkward neurodivergent girl who is suddenly thrust into being famous. In order to find out the information she needs to find the missing spy, she has to socialize with people she normally would not. While uncomfortable she finds a way to get through the situations, showing courage and growth along the way. Twelve is a challenging age to find yourself and deal with middle school. She goes through the normal ups and downs of any twelve-year-old, including homesickness. Being a spy makes this even more challenging as she has more secrets to keep than normal kids her age.

Simone LaFray and the Red Wolves of London is a middle-grade mystery that is well-written and entertaining. Staying true to a twelve-year-old’s life while adding in the mystery of the missing junior spy will make this an entertaining book and a favorite for children.

Pages: 248 | ISBN : 1953021360