AUGUST 2023 - AudioFile
Katie Siegel performs her own work, a witty mystery that follows the former child detective Charlotte Illes, who is persuaded to do some sleuthing on behalf of her brother. It soon develops into something sinister. Siegel's top-quality narration reflects her unique insight and obvious fondness for the characters. She creates fully believable characters in Charlotte and her friends, and her delivery of the quick-fire dialogue is particularly fun to hear. Siegel's steady pacing is well matched to the plot, with its twists and turns. The highly enjoyable listen is enhanced by a clue that is particularly compelling on audio. K.J.P. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
Advance Praise for CHARLOTTE ILLES IS NOT A DETECTIVE
“All clues point to fun in this queer, grown-up Encyclopedia Brown-style zany mystery. And, much like Encyclopedia Brown, you're gonna have to pay *very close attention* to the details if you're going to keep up with Charlotte Illes (who, of course, isn't a detective).” —Olivia Blacke, author of Killer Content
“For anyone who ever wondered how Nancy Drew or Encyclopedia Brown are doing now that they’re all grown up, former kid detective Charlotte Illes is here to tell you: Not Great. An immensely fun, voice-y read with a twisty mystery that is very relevant to today, I can’t wait to see what Charlotte (and Lucy and especially Gabe) get up to next! —Mia P. Manansala, author of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-winning Arsenic and Adobo
"There's a particular joy in reading a book and wishing you could be friends with the characters—Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective kept me guessing and left me with a warm and happy glow." —Mary Robinette Kowal, author of the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award-winning The Calculating Stars
Library Journal - Audio
06/10/2024
Charlotte Illes is all grown up but can't seem to shake her past as a former child detective. Ever since she shut down her high school sleuthing business, Charlotte has been unmoored and unable to find her life's path. When her blue landline rings unexpectedly, 25-year-old Charlotte is suddenly on the case again. Suddenly, she thinks that maybe she won't have to spend her evenings scrolling through social media on her mother's couch. But she's rusty, and instead of finding stolen crayons, she's now dealing with dead bodies and villains. Based on her popular TikTok series, podcaster Siegel's debut provides listeners with the answer to what happens when the Harriets, Nancy Drews, and other famous kid detectives grow up. Siegel narrates the spunky yet pigeonholed Charlotte, capturing both her wit and her existential dread. She highlights the universal struggle to find oneself when past expectations no longer fit. VERDICT Siegel's delightful and modern whodunit will appeal to fans of Lisa Lutz's The Spellman Files. Listeners will look forward to the next installment in this promising mystery series.—Elyssa Everling
Library Journal
★ 04/01/2023
DEBUT Podcaster Siegel's charming comic debut, which is based on a popular TikTok series created by the author, is terrific fun. Charlotte Illes is perfectly fine. At least, that is what she tells her family and friends. But they know better. Charlotte hasn't really been "fine" since she quit being Lottie Illes, kid detective, almost a decade ago. Now, in an effort to help Charlotte reboot her life, her brother Landon asks Charlotte to look into a series of anonymous notes that are being left for Landon's girlfriend Olivia. Charlotte reluctantly agrees to "look around" a bit, all the while insisting to anyone who will listen to her that she is definitely not getting back into the detection business! VERDICT Not since Lisa Lutz's The Spellman Files has there been such a delightful literary marriage of endearingly quirky characters and deliciously dry wit. Fans of Francine Prose's The Maid or Meg Cabot's Heather Wells mysteries will equally embrace the arrival of Charlotte and her cohorts on the detecting scene.—John Charles
AUGUST 2023 - AudioFile
Katie Siegel performs her own work, a witty mystery that follows the former child detective Charlotte Illes, who is persuaded to do some sleuthing on behalf of her brother. It soon develops into something sinister. Siegel's top-quality narration reflects her unique insight and obvious fondness for the characters. She creates fully believable characters in Charlotte and her friends, and her delivery of the quick-fire dialogue is particularly fun to hear. Siegel's steady pacing is well matched to the plot, with its twists and turns. The highly enjoyable listen is enhanced by a clue that is particularly compelling on audio. K.J.P. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2023-03-11
A former child detective grapples with her identity now that she’s neither child nor detective.
When you were a wunderkind pre-tween detective, there’s nowhere to go but down. While 25-year-old Charlotte Illes still has all her curiosity and eye for detail, early semifame has turned her from investigative work to checking job listings from her mother’s couch in New Jersey. It’s not that Charlotte isn’t motivated. Maybe she’s just in the throes of a quarter-life crisis now that her closest friends, Lucy and Gabe, have abandoned her for city life and full-time (technically Gabe is in social media, so fullish-time) work. Charlotte’s spinning her wheels, hanging with her mom, and going on bad first dates, like the one with that girl who wants to hear all about those early days rather than get to know Charlotte now. When your whole identity is defined by not being what you used to be, it’s easier to know who you aren’t than who you are. Charlotte is almost ready to ponder these big questions when she gets a call on the old detective phone—think landline Batman—with a case from her brother Landon’s girlfriend, Olivia. Charlotte’s pretty sure Landon and Olivia are only humoring her out of her slump with the promise of a mystery, but maybe, just maybe, an investigation is the best way for Charlotte to define who she is if she’s not a detective.
Notes of a Gen Z-er, with writing on the edge.
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