by Jordan Stratford
This mystery set in 1826 London stars Lady Ada Byron, daughter of Lord Byron and Mary Godwin, later to be known as the famous Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Eleven year-old Ada and fourteen year-old Mary will be tutored by Percy Shelley, a poet and Lord Byron’s best friend. Ada and Mary quickly become good friends and decide to start a secret private detective agency. Soon, they receive their first case regarding a stolen necklace and false confession.The pair navigate through a cast of suspects and dangerous clues until Ada arrives at the only plausible conclusion which leads them on a hot air balloon chase.During a time when women and girls were discouraged to pursue professions reserved for men, Ada and Mary combine their skills of deductive reasoning to prove that even girls have the intelligence and stamina to solve a complex mystery. Biographical information on the characters is included at the end of the book.