- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 7–11
- Mystery
Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum
Book 1 in Montgomery BonbonView the full series
A locked-room whodunit starring a ten-year-old girl who solves murders disguised as a moustachioed European gentleman-detective. Genuinely fair-play clues, jokes on every page: Knives Out for kids.
- Best for7–11
- FormatIllustrated
- Length288 pp
- Read aloud~4 hr5 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Whimsical
- Cosy
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
When a priceless treasure vanishes from the Hornville Museum and a night guard is found dead behind a locked door, the town of Widdlington needs the world's greatest detective. Enter Montgomery Bonbon: an unusually short gentleman in a shabby raincoat, with a bristling moustache and an accent from somewhere vaguely European. Nobody suspects that beneath the disguise is ten-year-old Bonnie Montgomery, who cracks cases with the help of her ice-cream-van-driving Grampa Banks. Sifting real clues from red herrings, Bonbon must work out how a thief slipped in and out of a sealed room, and unmask a culprit hiding in plain sight. Alasdair Beckett-King serves up a genuinely fair-play whodunit with jokes on every page and Claire Powell's characterful illustrations throughout. Pitched as Knives Out for kids, it's a comedy-mystery that teaches young readers how detective fiction actually works while keeping them laughing to the final reveal.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A comedy-mystery that suits confident readers of about 7-11 reading alone, and works beautifully read aloud to 6-9s who enjoy following the clues together. The tone is cosy and bloodless despite the murders, so it stays comfortable for younger or more sensitive readers.
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- Best fit · 7–11
- Read aloud · 6–9
- Independent · 7–11
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
High
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Mystery fans
- Funny stories
- Detective stories
- Cosy mysteries
Avoid if
- Wants gritty realism
- Dislikes puzzles
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Bonnie fools every grown-up in Widdlington by gluing on a moustache and becoming the great Montgomery Bonbon, then out-thinks them all. Spotting the real clues among the red herrings before the reveal feels like cracking the case yourself, and Grampa Banks and his ice-cream van are the perfect sidekick.
- Being a detective
- Trickery and cleverness
- Having a wise mentor
Why parents love it
Beckett-King plays fair: the clues really are all there, so children learn how detective fiction works while they laugh. The prose is sharp and quotable, the pace never sags, and Claire Powell's illustrations keep even hesitant readers turning pages of a satisfyingly meaty mystery.
- Shared humour
- Great writing
- Quick to read
In the series
Montgomery Bonbon.
5 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
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