A Box Full of Murders

By Janice Hallet

What it’s about?

When Ava and Luke discover a mysterious box of papers in their attic they are instantly curious about secrets it might hold. As they read through letters, diary entries, newspaper cuttings and listen to secret recordings, they realize that a decades-old, still unsolved, murder mystery is unfolding right in front of them . . .

Ava and Luke decide to try and crack the case themselves. But as they work through the clues, it soon becomes clear that the mystery isn’t something left in the past: the killer is still be out there – and might be closer than they think…


YOU know the facts. YOU have all the clues. Can YOU solve the mystery before they do?

What I think:

I love Janice Hallett’s novel. They are always so clever. I was very excited when she said at a book signing that she was writing a mystery for children.

Ava and Luke are brother and sister. Their parents have split up and they are living apart. To help them keep in touch they chat by phone via Whatsapp. When they find a box of mysterious papers in the attic they start trying to unravel the mystery.

The documents date from the early 1980s when the local scouts and guides are taking part at their final summer camp before the campsite is closed. The campers keep diaries, there are schedules and snippets of newspaper reports.

Ava and Luke uncover a series of mysterious events including a missing camper, ghosts in the woods and then a murder. Piecing together all the clues and learning a lot about the 80s along the way, Ava and Luke work together to solve the mystery of the box of murders.

This is a fun and fast-paced mystery, in the style fans of Hallett will be familiar with. It’s a great read aimed at readers aged 9-12. There’s a hint at the end that this could be the beginning of a series, so hopefully Ava and Luke will be solving more mysteries, including who the hid the box of murders in the first place, in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for my gifted digital copy of The Box of Murders.