Model Undercover, Book 3 - London, Deadly by Design

While directing an upcoming play has eaten into my free time, it hasn't stopped me from reading completely - particularly when I have the third book in the superbly written series Model Undercover series.  This is definitely one of my favorite series.  Author Carina Axelsson has created a smart, lovable detective in Axelle, the wanna-be detective who is thrust into the world of modeling, where she manages to find mysteries galore to solve!

After Paris and New York, Axelsson brings her young detective back home to London in Deadly by Design.  And while her previous mysteries involved a kidnapping and stolen property, Axelle finds herself looking into a decades old murder when a friend of one of her model friends comes to her asking for help.  It seems this woman's brother was attacked and is now in a coma, and Axelle's friend, Ellie, referred the woman to her for help.  Having had no mystery to solve since her adventure in New York City, Axelle jumps at the opportunity.

The only clue she has to work with is a thumbdrive with the young man's last photo shoot - numerous "day in the life" shots of famed fashion designer Johnny Vane, as well as one very out of place photo of a picture with two young boys who appear to be twins.  Axelle knows the clue must be somewhere in that extra photo, but she doesn't know what.  With the help of her very own "Watson," the always faithful boyfriend, Sebastian, Axelle sets out to discover just what that photograph has to do with the attack on the young man, and how Johnny Vane and the tragic death of his mother and brother fit into it.

Weighing in at 349 pages, there is never a dull moment in this book.  Axelsson maintains a steady pace with her storytelling, providing a great build-up to the huge reveal at the end.  Yes, any true fan of mystery series books will figure out at least part of the solution to this mystery pretty early on, but seeing how Axelle and Sebastian get there is half the fun.  Plus, Axelsson provides a pretty good twist with the actual identity of the culprit, and the big reveal at the end when Axelle pulls all of her suspects into the same room before confronting them is sure to bring a smile to your face - it did mine!

And, of course, no good mystery series book about a young girl detective would be complete without a reference or two to Nancy Drew, the original girl sleuth:

"...all I wanted to do was solve mysteries--and I'd always felt that way.  Well, ever since my granny started spoon-feeding me detective stories:  Nancy Drew before I could read..." (p. 2)

"That, Nancy Drew, is on a need-to-know basis." (p. 31)

"All right, Nancy Drew, then what else do I have on my mind?"  (p. 342)

If only the Nancy Drew books of today were written as well as the Model Undercover books, then Simon & Schuster might actually have a best-selling series once again.  For now, though, I have the MU books to satisfy my well-written girl sleuth mystery series - and thankfully, there is a fourth book on its way (set in Milan, as the ending of this book hints).  It is already published overseas, so I can only hope it will eventually makes it way for sale here in the States this year.

RATING:  10 mudlarking adventures out of 10 for mingling the fashion world with the mystery genre in such a way as to make them both interesting!

Model Undercover, Book 2 - New York: Stolen with Style

The current ghostwriters for the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series should take a cue from Carina Axelsson, because this woman knows how to write a well-developed, character-driven, good ol' fashioned mystery for young adults.

Model Undercover is a mystery series about detective-wannabe Axelle (rhymes with "excel") Anderson who inadvertently gets suckered into a modeling career in order to pursue her real passion - solving mysteries.  In the first book, London: A Crime of Fashion, Axelle not only walks her first runway, but she solves her first mystery when she has to find a missing fashion designer.  When she successfully solves the case, she is suddenly thrust into the limelight, not only as a detective, but also as the hottest new model to walk the carpet.

Now, in this second book of the series, Axelsson, who is a former model herself, brings her protagonist to America and the Big Apple to find out what happened to the Black Amelia, the world's most famous black diamond.  The priceless jewel was stolen from Cazzie Kinlan, the editor-in-chief for Chic magazine during a closed-set photo shoot, and Axelle only has a week within which to find the stolen diamond.  When Cazzie begins getting cryptic blackmail texts with riddles to solve, the clock begins ticking.  With only a handful of suspects, including four models, a photographer, and a digitech (as well as Cazzie herself), Axelle has to once again go undercover as a model to infiltrate the industry and integrate herself into the lives of the people she suspects.

Axelsson brings back Axelle's model friend Ellie, who happens to be in New York for the fashion week events, as well as Axelle's love interest, Sebastian, who Axelle believes is actually spying on her for her mother, to makes sure she really is modeling and not solving another mystery.  And with over 300 pages of story, Axelsson has plenty of space to develop an intricate plot complete with great red herrings (although a couple of them are pretty obvious) and lots of fashionista flourish.  The reader comes to know all of the characters quite well, and the author manages to keep the identity of the thief pretty well hidden until the final climax - and once revealed, the reader will realize the clues were there, just not so in-your-face as to make it obvious.  Which, ultimately, makes for a very satisfying read.

This series is yet another British series being reprinted here in America.  No curse words, no violence - just good ol' mystery-enjoying fun.  And not one, not even two, but three references to Nancy Drew (although, granted, each instance is Axelle mocking Ellie by saying, "Thanks, Nancy Drew" or "Very funny, Nancy Drew").  Clearly, the iconic teenage sleuth is a reference that no mystery can do without.

While I am by no means a fan of fashion (anyone can tell you I dress comfortably and with what I like, never worrying about whether something is the latest fashion or fad), I thoroughly enjoy this series and would recommend it highly to anyone that reads and enjoys young adult mysteries.

10 tear sheets out of 10 for showing the world what a young adult mystery should be!