Title: I Have a Hunch
Author: Jeremy Decoursey
Year of Publication: 2019
Genre: Middle-Grade Mystery
Number of Pages: 294
Review: Thank you, Book Sirens, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Alice is the niece of Humphrey Bach, a world-famous private detective. Humphrey’s managed to crack cases that the police couldn’t solve, and he’s like a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. When Alice comes to work for him during her summer holidays, she doesn’t know what to expect. When a potential client comes storming into the office to ask for help solving the murder of the millionaire, Victor Tymm, Alice gets to go on her first crime-solving adventure.
This book was a lot of fun to read because it was full of so much wordplay. Early on, Humphrey explains to Alice what a homophone is, and the book is full of homophones and wordplay. There’s a character who works at the library whose name is Dewey; the gardener Herbert wants to plant an herb garden; even Humphrey Bach is a play on words because Uncle Humphrey has Kyphosis, or a hunched back. I loved all of the wordplay, and I thought the way that it tied into the mystery was very clever.
I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book, and it reminded me of a Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes adventure. I liked the different characters that Humphrey and Alice meet on the estate, and I enjoyed the interview and clue finding process. I thought the mystery was full of exciting twists and turns, and even though I figured out who did it, I thought the buildup to the end was exciting.
I also liked that there was a larger, over-arching mystery going on in the background. There’s a string of connected cases that Humphrey hasn’t been able to solve, and they’re mentioned throughout the book. I liked that this left it open for there to be more books, which I will probably read.
It took me a little while to warm up to Alice, but once I did, I didn’t mind her. There were a few moments where I thought she was acting a bit immature, but then I remember that she’s thirteen and that normal thirteen-year-olds are sometimes immature. I liked Humphrey, and I liked how passionate he was about solving mysteries. I also liked that he didn’t let his Kyphosis get in the way of doing what he loved.
Overall, this was a fun book to read. I liked the mystery, and I thought the wordplay gave it a unique twist. It wasn’t my favourite mystery, but I’m curious enough to check out more Humphrey Bach mysteries.
Rating: 3.5 Stars!
