When Wild Detective, Arabella Pepper, moves away with her family and her pet crow, Blue, from the island of Little Rock to Greytown (a place perfectly suited to its name), she is torn away from the life she loved.
A million miles from the hedgerows, green fields and wildlife of the island, Greytown seems an unlikely place for a Wild Detective, but a spate of missing pets immediately captures Arabella’s attention. Despite her mum’s warnings, Arabella sets about solving the mystery alongside her new (and rather mean) friend, Lucille.
However, as Arabella gets used to her new life, her parents are arguing all the time. Worried her family is falling apart, Arabella soon finds herself knee-deep in the mystery of the missing pets, putting Blue in danger. Can she solve the case before it’s too late? And are her parents going to divorce?
E.R. Murray’s gripping plot draws the reader straight into Greytown and the missing pet mystery within the first couple of pages. She has created a hugely likeable and refreshing character in Arabella Pepper, who isn’t afraid to be herself, even when she doesn’t quite fit in. The plot is pacey and captivating from the outset, allowing the reader to feel as though they too are a Wild Detective alongside Arabella.
TPP very much hopes that this is the first in a series of cases for Arabella Pepper – a fantastic start for the new season of the TPP Book Club!
Arabella Pepper: The Wild Detective is published by Natural World Publishing (2025)