The Case of the Bad Twin (Piper Investigations) by Shannon Greenland

Author Shannon Greenland is one of those authors that I've come to love. Her work, specifically The Specialists, has become a part of my permanent library. Like a few other authors, Julia Ash to name one, I'm always excited to see them come out with a new book. Their work has become a piece of my world, my life, and it pleases me to be able to share another book from them. In fact, all of Greenland's books are on my to-read list, and I'm always sad that I haven't gotten to them faster. 

You know what I mean? Those to-read lists will outlive me!😳

Coming out this June is another beginner series from Shannon. It's the start of her Piper Investigation series. A youthful story geared toward middle-grade readers, she gives us a mystery series that piques the interest of even the oldest of readers (I'm speaking of me, just in case you were wondering, lol). 

The Case of the Bad Twin gives us a new character to love. Below is the synopsis from Amazon, and may I say, the quote at the top hooked me quicker than anything (I LOVE Veronica Mars!!!):

“If Veronica Mars was 13 years old, this would be her!”

"Through a series of ridiculous events, thirteen-year-old Penny-Ann Piper has come to live on Piper Island with her quirky Aunt Grace. Although Penny’s new to the eccentric and salty Florida town, she’s proud of her connection to it. After all, her grandparents founded the oddball place where everyone makes it their business to know your business. They’re nosy that way.

So when someone steals the time capsule Penny-Ann created chronicling the island’s history, she’s determined to get it back. Principal Berger and Officer Crawl think it’s a prank, but who could have taken it, and why? Penny-Ann’s on-again-off-again best friend Josie? Rocco Garcia, the annoying (but also cute) surfer boy? Twin MMA fighters who think muscles should get them a credit in math?

With the help of her new friend, Diamond, who may or may not be part of the X-Men, Penny-Ann revives Piper Investigations, her grandparents’ detective agency. But there’s more to the missing time capsule than anyone realizes. It seems someone will do anything to get Penny-Ann to back off the case…including revealing her top-secret, ultra-embarrassing past."

Well, I couldn't resist delving into another series by the great Shannon Greenland. I'm always willing to try what she publishes because of my love of her Specialist series. This might mean I'm a little prejudice, but can you blame me?

Now, I'll give you a sneak peek into this newest book. I hope you'll join me, and beware of *SPOILERS* as I breakdown what I love and hate (hahahahaha, o-kay) about The Case of the Bad Twin.😉

Numeric Breakdown:

1: didn't like it
2: it was okay
3. liked it
4. really liked it
5. it was amazing


1. Writing Style: 5/5
We're introduced to the story and its main character, Penny-Ann Piper, through a first-person discourse. Immediately, we find conflict between the MC and her best friend. From there, the time capsule Penny-Ann has worked hard to create for her school and town is found missing. Evidence, undercover snooping, new friends, and some scare tactics blow this read into high gear! 

Greenland does a wonderful job of creating red-herrings, building the tone and mood of her story and characters, creating suspense, and making you fall in love with her characters.

Although your suspect list stays contained on the same few characters, it evolves because of the clues Penny-Ann digs up. What's nice is the evolution of her character, from seeing herself as someone who needs to be first in everything, to realizing she can share the glory with her new friends. Even though, as a reader, you have your own suspicions of who might be the "bad guy," you're also taken on a fun trip around Piper Island as Penny-Ann finds motive, means, and opportunity everywhere. 

Penny-Ann is a realistic character. I like her persistence in trying to do the right thing, as well as her knowledge that she's not always perfect at maintaining perfection. She does, in fact, remind me of a thirteen-year old Veronica Mars. Which means, I love this series already!

Her narrative and descriptions are fun, sassy, and easy to follow. She has a nice balance of narrative, description portions, and dialogue. It definitely speaks to a younger reading audience, but it isn't "dumbed down" or boring for an older reader. It has enough suspense, foreshadowing, red-herrings, essential dialogue, a tiny amount of allusion, conflict, and the motif of a girl once involved in cons who is now on the path of redemption. 

Totally a winning writing style that's easy to read, playful, humorous, and filled with positive meaning. The highest compliment I can give, in my own opinion, is sharing how much Shannon Greenland's writing style mirrors that of Stuart Gibbs. These two are my favorite modern authors in middle-grade and YA, right next to Sarah Dessen. 

2. Overall Content: 5/5
Penny-Ann has created a time capsule to represent several years of Piper Island for a school project. It's a sentimental project, as well as the chance to do something good for her community. After all, her grandparents helped establish the island, its names after her family, and she wants to continue the tradition of good works and positive approval of the Piper Islanders. 

She's the type of student who takes perfectionism to a whole new level. So, when her time capsule is stolen from the principal's office, she decides she has to find it. In her quest to restore the capsule to the school before the reception being given in its honor, Penny-Ann makes new friends. 

Diamond De Luca is new to town, and her father is a PI. For this case, Penny-Ann calls upon Diamond to help her learn the tips and tricks of becoming a private investigator. Willing to help, Diamond becomes Penny-Ann's sidekick. 

A clue points the finger at Rocco Garcia. His bracelet was found in a plant, in the principal's office, near where the time capsule had been stashed. He seems to turn up everywhere Penny-Ann does, and he wants in on the action. Challenging Penny-Ann, he brags he'll get to the truth and find the time capsule before she will. What turns out to be a possible suspect, might become a a friendly ally. 

Suffering from prank phone calls, a damaged stuffed dog, and a poo explosion, Penny-Ann knows she's getting closer to the truth, and although she's scared, she won't stop. Instead, she picks up some tools of the trade from Diamond, splits the leg-work, and ends up getting a new teammate as they race to find the culprit before the big day. 

This book sports a fun mystery, entangled clues, several suspects, and a really cool main character.

3. Hooks/Attention-kept: 5/5
For being a quick, fun read, this book kept my attention the whole time. I loved the twists and turns, as I mapped out what happened in my mind. In fact, there was a twist I didn't expect, and I LOVED it!!! The clues, threats, and characters all made this a worth-while read.

I certainly hoped to figure out who the culprits were before the end of the book. Some of my suspicions paid off, and it was such a fast-paced story, it held my attention firmly until the end.

4. Overall enjoyment of the story based on the genre: 5/5
I love a good mystery! This book was a great product of the author's mind, and it keeps you entertained and involved until the end. For being a young adult read, I still found it light-hearted and enjoyable. It took me back to the good old days of reading Nancy Drew, which always sparks a nostalgic bone in my body.

I highly recommend this book series to anyone who like a clean, fun-filled way to pass the time. It's a great read for children, teens, and adults. It's a quick read that you can share with your loved ones and tackle together. 

For stay-at-home parents, especially in this time of COVID-19, I would put this book forward as a perfect read for your at-home kiddos. Since it's a cute and easy-to-read story, parents can certainly enjoy it with their young ones. It's the first in a series, and the next two are on pre-order for the ebooks, with a release date of July and August 1st. 

5. Overall enjoyment of the story based on the content: 5/5
I love Author Shannon Greenland's voice in this book as much as in her Specialist series. The content is amusing, sweet, and gratifying. It's such a lovable read, and as my readers know, I love relating to characters the most in a story, and I LOVE Penny-Ann. Her gumption and desire to do the right thing is endearing. Her past makes her relatable, and her persistence makes her a worthy role-model. 

This story exceeded my expectations, and I don't care how old I get, I will still love these books! I plan on owning ALL of them, and I would share them with my nieces and nephews in a heartbeat. Author Shannon Greenland is a master at keeping your attention and creating darling characters. 

6. Overall Story Rating: 5/5
I found nothing to cause me dismay in this book. It was everything it promised to be -- a quirky mystery with a charming MC. Of course, I would give it a 5/5 rating! I adored it, and I can't wait to read the next two books!!!

Buckle up, book fans, and give this read a try!  

To find out more about the lovely, amazing, and extraordinary Author Shannon Greenland, check out these tidbits below:

From Amazon: "Things you should know about me: I write novels! Some have won awards. Others have been bestsellers. Under Shannon Greenland (my real name) you'll find teen spies, middle-grade adventure, and romantic suspense. Under S. E. Green (my pen) you'll find dark and gritty fiction about serial killers, cults, secret societies that do bad things, and whatever else my twisted brain deems to dream up. I love old and grouchy dogs. My humor runs dark and so don't be offended by something off I might say. I mean no harm. I live in a small Florida beach town, but I'm most often found exploring the world. I eat entirely too many chips. I also love math!"

Website: www.shannongreenland.com

Twitter: @segreenauthor

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Thanks for joining me, and as always, Happy Reading!!

~Rebecca Reddell