The Curious Cat Spy Club, Book 6 - The Trail of the Ghost Bunny

The Curious Cat Spy Club
The Trail of the Ghost Bunny
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co.
Publication Date (September 2018)
ISBN 10 - 080751392X
ISBN 13 - 978-0807513927
263 Pages of Story

"I grin at my club mates, hop on my bike - and we ride off together."

I can think of no better way to end this series than to send Kelsey, Becca, and Leo off into the sunset, searching for more missing pets. Well, actually, I could think of a better way - don't end the series at all! Let it keep going, let Linda Joy Singleton tell more stories of these three curious young sleuths, and let readers continue to enjoy these fun, well-written mysteries that hearken back to the days of children's mystery series! But, alas, that is not meant to be, so as send-offs go, I'd have to say Singelton pretty much nailed it with this sixth, and final, Curious Cat Spy Club mystery.

The Trail of the Ghost Bunny finds Kelsey and her family settling into their new home, which readers were introduced to in the previous book. It's a bit of a fixer-upper, so everyone is chipping in to help clean, paint, and renovate the house. But there's a catch - in order to keep the house, the family will have to take care of the previous owner's bunny, Trixie (Belden, anyone?). Kesley is overjoyed - her father, not so much. But Kelsey and her friends are good with animals, and she soon has it settled safely in her room.

But then the bunny escapes its cage. And disappears in the attic. And uncovers a hidden cubby that holds an old-fashioned key. And then gets kidnapped! Needless to say, it's the start of a whole new mystery for Kelsey, Becca, and Leo - one that involves a rumored treasure, a mysterious girl, a disappearing bunny, a hidden room, the tinkling of bells throughout the house, and the frightening shadow of a ghost bunny! Singleton incorporates so much into the story, by the time you finish reading the book, you feel like you've experienced more than just a single mystery.

I truly enjoy the way Singleton intertwines the lives of so many characters - bringing back a number of characters from previous books (even me! you'll have to read it to understand what I mean!), as well as incorporating peripheral characters into the overall mystery. And while it doesn't come as much of a shock as to who the culprit is, it's not the whodunnit that really matters, as much as how Kelsey and her friends get there. And, on top of everything else, the CCSC must also find a way to raise money for the local animal shelter to purchase a mobile pet van. As if they didn't have enough on their plate already.

One of the joys I find in reading series books is that you get to know the characters, and in a weird sort of way, you feel like these characters are "friends," or even "family," because you are right there with them during each and every adventure. You share the good times, the bad times, the rocky roads, and the thrilling successes right along with them. So, that is why it becomes bittersweet when a series comes to an end, particularly when you know there are so many more stories yet to be told. But, alas, for Singleton and her Curious Cat Spy Club, the sleuthing adventures of Kelsey and her friends have come to an end, and so we must bid farewell - and as Carol Burnett so eloquently put it at the end of each episode...

"I'm so glad we had this time together...."

RATING:  10 sparkling ruby necklaces out of 10 for saving the very best CCSC story for last and making it well worth the read!