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Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite
The Case of the Missing Music by Angela D. Moss is a delightful middle-school adventure with amateur detective Morgan Draca. Morgan and her little brother Brad often accompany their high-powered lawyer mother on her business trips to consult with clients. Morgan who has a penchant for mysteries and unraveling them is also a confirmed history buff, so when their mother informs them they will be traveling to the deeply historic city of New Orleans in Louisiana, Morgan is thrilled and excited, although she is sad to have to leave her two best friends behind, yet again. This time, Morgan will find she has two different mysteries to solve. When one of her friend’s mothers gives her a headband and instructs her to place it somewhere in New Orleans, telling her that she will instinctively know where it should go, Morgan has her first mystery. In addition, the children’s minder in New Orleans is a past babysitter, Sheila, who is now attending college in the city. Sheila’s family is originally from New Orleans and her great-grandfather was a notable musician in the thriving jazz scene of the city. Morgan will be tasked to search for a legendary original composition that Sheila’s great-grandfather is said to have composed and then hidden somewhere in the historic city. Morgan’s task is to find that lost piece of music.
The Case of the Missing Music is a truly delightful read. This is not the first iteration of Angela D. Moss’ twelve-year-old sleuth but it is the first I have read and although I am far away from the target audience, I can truly say I loved every second of this story. Morgan is an interesting character in that although she shows great maturity in certain areas and a great depth of historical knowledge, it doesn’t take much for her pre-teen pouty, rebellious, and emotional nature to emerge. What I particularly loved is that it illuminates perfectly the time frames and events of history without seeming to lecture in a scholarly manner. It also shows off the very best of the points of interest to be found in New Orleans and highlights many of the city’s attractions and beauty. I enjoyed, along with Morgan, the task of unraveling the clues in the search for where to place the headband in New Orleans and, of course, the main mystery to be solved; the repository of the legendary piece of music. Moss' expressive and expansive descriptive style will take readers right inside the historic part of New Orleans, to the point where you can smell the honeysuckle and feel the moist, humid air entering your lungs. This is exactly what a middle-school novel should be; exciting, mysterious, and clean, but most of all, educational, without seeming to be so. I loved this gentle tale and would love to read more from this talented author. I can highly recommend this read.
