The Nancys
R W R McDonald
Allen & Unwin
9781760527334
Description:
Tippy Chan is eleven and lives in a small town in a very quiet part of the world – the place her Uncle Pike escaped from the first chance he got as a teenager. Now Pike is back with his new boyfriend Devon to look after Tippy while her mums on a cruise.
Tippy is in love with her uncle’s old Nancy Drew books, especially the early ones where Nancy was sixteen and did whatever she wanted. She wants to be Nancy and is desperate to solve a real mystery. When her teacher’s body is found beside Riverstone’s only traffic light, Tippy’s moment has arrived. She and her minders form The Nancys, a secret amateur detective club.
But what starts as a bonding and sightseeing adventure quickly morphs into something far more dangerous. A wrongful arrest, a close call with the murderer, and an intervention from Tippy’s mum all conspire against The Nancys. But regardless of their own safety, and despite the constant distraction of questionable fashion choices in the town that style forgot, The Nancys know only they can stop the killer from striking again.
The Nancys is gripping and glorious, a heart-warming novel for anyone who’s ever felt they were on the outside looking in. At its heart it is about the family we make and how we must summon the courage to face the truth, no matter what the cost may be.
My View:
This book is …a little bit of everything. It is a murder/mystery. It is a story about family, love, life. It is humorous and yet the last three quarters of the book are exciting and page turning. It really is a bit of everything woven delicately or riotously (depending on where you are at with the read) into a story about loss and grief. Loss and grief and the importance of family would be my biggest take away form this read.
The main characters are colourfully drawn, I especially liked the voice of the child narrator Tippy Chan. What more can I say? It is well written, engaging and I can’t wait for the second book, Nancy Business to reach my doorstep.
Reading, Writing and Riesling 
I’ve had this on my shelf for so long, I really must read it, especially now there’s a second book coming out. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
I saw so many great reviews of this one i had to read it.
I’m glad it lived up to those reviews, there’s nothing worse when a book doesn’t live up to the hype.
I’m about to read this in advance of Nancy Business too ,)
Look forward to hearing your thoughts on this
Oh, I liked this one very much, too, Carol! I thought Tippy’s voice was done very well, and you’re right about the way the novel explores family, love, loss, and the ties that bind us. And there’s the murder mystery, too…. Glad you enjoyed it.
It had so many parts but worked so well