The first two books took place in Washington, D.C. and I enjoyed those but I was excited that this book was to take place to London. I loved it!

I liked that in this book it’s the girl who takes the lead in the detective work and she also takes many of the risks and is the one who puts herself in the most danger. There is a lot of danger and even violence in these books, especially considering that they are written for children.

The frequent time & day and place notations throughout the book(s) contribute a lot to building suspense and there is a lot of suspense. I appreciated that at one point deep into the book that I guessed very wrong about a character. I started wondering if Eunice was in on the theft plot and did not know her identity until the reveal.

This book doesn’t do a great job with backstory. There is nothing about how Art met Camille & her mother, for instance. I suppose that this book could be a standalone but readers would lose a lot that way. As I usually do, I strongly suggest reading the books in this series in order.

I think that the author is brave to use real museums, monuments, and other known attractions. Somehow it works. I wouldn’t think it could work but it does. The reader learns a lot about art and in this book a lot about history too. The QR codes in the e-book work and I enjoyed looking at the images as I was reading. Being able to see images of what is being described in the book is one of the best things about this series. Yes, the reader could look up the items as they read, but having them be so convenient is a huge plus. In this third book it’s not only artworks that are shown but also buildings and images connected with them and other objects.

Readers do have to suspend disbelief about a lot of plot details but the relationships ring true, and the books are tremendous fun. I always like the main characters and many of the new characters in each book.

I will say that I’m wondering how many more books there might be. The kids have now saved both their fathers. I suppose there is lots more that they can do and there are certainly a lot more settings where the stories could take place. Now that I think about it, I suppose there could be many more books in this series. Given what the author says in his Author’s Note I am assuming that there will be more books, likely in this series. In this note the author also says that many think of art as paintings in museums but he then mentions four other kinds of art that appeared in this book: architecture, stained glass, murals, and the floor of Westminster Abbey – the Cosmati pavement.

Highly recommended for boys & girls, ages 8-12 and all the way up for the older readers who enjoy children’s literature.

4-1/2 stars ( )