Book Review: Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces by Iain Reading

Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces is the 5th book in the Kitty Hawk series by Iain Reading. I absolutely love this series, but highly recommend reading it in order. that is more important with this installment than any of the previous books.  The other books could all pass as stand alones, but knowledge of the previous adventures really makes this one.

In this volume our teenage seaplane pilot and amateur detective Kitty Hawk continues her epic flight around the world. After meeting up with an old friend in the eternal city of Rome, Kitty Hawk unexpectedly stumbles (almost literally) into a bizarre mystery involving creepy disembodied voices, secret hidden rooms, unbreakable mathematical codes, ominous chain-smoking strangers and an array of plundered artworks by such famous masters as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Vincent van Gogh. With the help of friends both old and new, Kitty Hawk follows a trail of cryptic clues that leads her on a breathless tour across a quintessentially European landscape, from ancient Roman Italy to the darkest corners of Germany, Austria, and beyond. As with the previous books in the series, this new installment is filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history.

Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces is fast paced and intriguing mystery. Kitty and Charlie (who we first met in book 1) meet up in Rome and find themselves deeply embroiled in a new mystery. Missing masterpieces are noticed on the walls of a new friend's home. Soon a mysterious radio message, thieves, car and scooter chases, and a grand tour of several European cities keep the characters and the readers on the edge of their seats. I love that readers get to learn bits of history and obscure knowledge as we follow along with Kitty on her adventures. I also liked that this installment had a little less of Kitty talking to herself, and more of her thinking about some of the darker moments of our global history. I also like that readers that get really involved can easily google along and follow up with the resources and information included at the end of the book.

Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces is another fantastic installment to Kitty's adventures. if you enjoy mysteries, particularly those that teach real history along the way, this is a must read series. Middle grade readers through adult readers can fully enjoy this series and sleuth along with Kitty. I am both eager to see how Kitty's trip will end, and sad to know that it will.

There are currently 5 books in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold, Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost, Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue, Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic, and Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces.