Review Detail

The Impossible Clue

Middle Grade Fiction 197

On the hunt for a missing scientist

December 18, 2016 (Updated: June 29, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Alice's father is a news reporter, and Alice herself is good at solving mysteries, so when famous scientist Dr. Learner goes missing, classmate Sammy Delgado approaches Alice to help. Sammy's father's company is working on an invisibility suit with Dr. Learner, and they want to know where he has gone. With the unlikely help of Kevin Jordan, Alice searches the professor's apartment, interviews his neighbors, and is given unprecedented access to Delgado industries. Along the way, the Jones' home is broken into, Alice and Kevin are kidnapped, and a huge conspiracy having to do with the evil Chronos corporation is figured out. Alice's father gets his scoop, her sister Della gets a part in the musical Annie, and all is good until another day.

Good Points

Alice is fearless, brave AND a math whiz. It's great to see a strong female character who takes initiative and isn't afraid to investigate a mystery. Her family is supportive even though her mother is living in Italy. The mystery is a good one, and there is a fair amount of action and adventure. Readers who enjoyed Beil's Red Blazer Girls, Fairstein's Devlin Quick or Runholdt's Kari and Lucas mysteries will like this one.

The story has a good amount of adventure and some pulse pounding moments, but stops short of being gory or gruesome. Many of my students want blood and murder, but it's not necessarily the best thing for them! This is a nice compromise between the mysteries about neighborhood dogs being kidnapped, and the more young adult mysteries where people are murdered.
This has been reworked slightly and reset in the United States, somewhere near New York City. I'd be curious to see the original UK edition.