Book Review: The Skeleton Key (Code Busters Club #1)

Media Type: Print Book
Title: The Secret of the Skeleton Key
   *Series: The Code Busters Club #1
Author: Penny Warner
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: Hardcover; 224
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Source: Publisher
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Content Screening: Nothing of note.

HDB Rating: 5 Keys to My Heart

Recommended to: Young readers who love mysteries and solving fun puzzles!

Add it on: Goodreads / Shelfari / Amazon / B&N

Cody, Quinn, Luke, and M.E. may be really different, but they all share one thing in common: they love playing around with codes. In fact, they love codes so much, they have their own private club, with a super-secret hideout and passwords that change every single day.

When Cody and Quinn notice what could be a code on the window of a nearby house, the one owned by their strange neighbor, the guy they call Skeleton Man, the club gets to work. And it is a cry for help!

Now the Code Busters are on the case—and nothing will stop them from solving the mystery and finding the secret treasure that seems to be the cause of it all!

This exciting interactive mystery offers more than fifteen codes for you to decipher, including the Consonant code, Morse code, and American Sign Language. Test your brain with the Code Busters and solve the mystery along with them. Answers are in the back, if you ever get stuck.

What a fun read! Do you love solving puzzles? Are you a fan of mystery? If so, this is the perfect series for you! The Secret of the Skeleton was a blast to read from beginning to end, and I’m not even the target audience. Mr. Skelton, the “Skeleton Man” has a secret to hide, and the Code Busters club are going to uncover it.

Cody, Quinn, Luke and M.E. bonded over the love of puzzles and codes. For Cody, whose whole life was turned upside down when her parents split up, the Code Busters Club is her favorite place in the world. Complete with a secret hideout, this is a club I’d love to be a part as well! I definitely see young readers falling in love with these characters. From the fashionista, to the extreme sports lover, there is a personality for every reader to latch onto. These kids are fun, smart, and really brave too.

The absolute best part, and I’m sure you will agree, was the codes and puzzles to solve! From semaphores, to Morse code, each chapter brings something new to the table. Are you a little lost? Never fear! The keys and answers are in the back waiting for you. I guarantee you’ll be having so much fun solving them you won’t want to look though. I had too much pride, I admit it! Every chapter title is in sign language. By the time I reached the end I started to recognize a lot of the signals for letters. How cool is that?

As you can see, this is a read that I really loved! The mystery here was fabulously laid out, with clues all along the way. Even as an older reader I found myself wanting to find out what happens next. I’m happy to state that there are more books in the series and, truth be told, I’ll be there to read them! I can’t wait to open up book two and dive in!

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.