13) Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints by P.J. Brackston (Paula Brackston)

The Blurb :

Bavaria, 1776. When Albrecht Durer the Much Much Younger's Frog Prints go missing, he knows exactly where to turn for help. Gretel (yes, that Gretel), now 35 and still living with her gluttonous brother Hans, is the country's most famous private investigator, and she leaps at the opportunity to travel to cosmopolitan Nuremberg to take on the case. But amid the hubbub of the city s annual sausage festival, Gretel struggles to find any clues that point toward the elusive thief.

Even with the aid of the chatty mice living under her bed, the absent prints remain stubbornly out of view, and Gretel is forced to get creative in her search for the truth."

My Thoughts :

You may know P. J. Brackston as Paula Brackston the wonderful storyteller that gifted us such books as The Winter Witch and The Witch's Daughter.  Well if you wondered if she can write something other than the serious witch based stories then you will find your answer inside the first installment of the Brothers Grimm  Mysteries.

You can tell that Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints is going to be fun before you every start the story.  Look at that cover and title and then read the blurb.  There is so much promise and the author manages to deliver what is expected by way of a fun and fantasy filled cozy.  It is unusual and extremely entertaining!  I was hooked within the first couple of pages and couldn't put the book down.

The surprises inside this book are amusing and quite witty.  The author definitely took some time to plot out this well thought up twist on the Hansel and Gretyl story.  The addition of the German names and places are, if you know the language, delightful and the historical angle is not too over powering and fitting.  I managed to get engrossed in this one very easily and the characters and plot wouldn't let me go.

This is a book you need to try when you need cheering up or just want something that will bring on a giggle or two.  If you like Jasper Fforde's work then you will appreciate the style of this one and if you don't mind a little fantasy twist (there be talking animals for one) then you will also enjoy the magical details that are weaved into the story.

I am really looking forward to reading the next installment in the series and hope I will be able to pick it up soon.  This was a refreshing read and just the thing I needed to lighten up my reading and break the hard, cold and more darker books I have been reading lately.