Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective

By: Katie Siegel

Narrated by: Katie Siegel

“An immensely fun, voice-y read with a twisty mystery.” –Mia P. Manansala, author of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-winning Arsenic and Adobo

“Charlotte is a delight.”—The New York Times

For anyone seeking to satisfy their Harriet the Spy, Encyclopedia Brown, or Nancy Drew nostalgia, this charming, entertaining debut based on the popular @katiefliesaway TikTok series stars a twentysomething former kid detective who’s coaxed out of retirement for one last case.

The downside of being a famous child detective is that sooner or later, you have to grow up . . .

As a kid, Charlotte Illes’ uncanny sleuthing abilities made her a minor celebrity. But in high school, she hung up her detective’s hat and stashed away the signature blue landline in her “office”—aka garage—convinced that finding her adult purpose would be as easy as tracking down missing pudding cups or locating stolen diamonds.

Now twenty-five, Charlotte has a nagging fear that she hit her peak in middle school. She’s living with her mom, scrolling through job listings, and her love life consists mostly of first dates. When it comes to knowing what to do next, Charlotte hasn’t got a clue.

And then, her old blue phone rings . . .

Reluctantly, Charlotte is pulled back into the mystery-solving world she knew—just one more time. But that world is a whole lot more complicated for an adult. As a kid, she was able to crack the case and still get her homework done on time. Now she’s dealing with dead bodies, missing persons, and villains who actually see her as a viable threat. And the detective skills she was once so eager to never use again are the only things that can stop a killer ready to make sure her next retirement is permanent . . .

“Kept me guessing and left me with a warm and happy glow.” –Mary Robinette Kowal, author of the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award-winning The Calculating Stars

©2023 Kate Siegel (P)2023 Recorded Books

Nothing about this story was outstanding. 

I can’t believe what a boring and predictable mystery this was. The action was very slow and not at all interesting. I have no idea why I actually finished it, but I kept hoping that maybe the writing would get better. Not! It may be a young adult level story, but I can’t imagine it would be that interesting for that age group, either. Not at all interested in finding any other works by this author. Just my opinion, as it may appeal to someone looking for a very simple story without any real violence, although there were a small number of “language” words.

Fun mystery

I liked the characters. The book is a fun and funny listen . The mystery isn’t hard to figure out, but it felt more like it was really about the friendships which I really enjoyed. I would read more by this author. She also did great as the narrator (and I almost never like it when an author narrates their own work). I think another review said there was bad language, i don’t really care about that but I didn’t notice anything? Maybe I missed it? But trigger warning for those that need it: not everyone in the book is a cis straight person. So if that will upset you this might not be the book for you. But I thought it was delightful and highly recommend it.

Cute, fun story. Cummy narration.

I did enjoy this story. The author has a fun, conversational manner which I enjoyed. However, there's a reason for professional narrators. Most authors are not meant to read their audiobooks... which is why there are professionals who do voiceovers. She isn't able to create voices for each character and my 12 year old begged me to put on headphones because "ugh, that voice is horrible". Sorry, but I agree with her assessment. I usually throw in the towel with lousy narration, but I really did enjoy the story and kept with it.

I would very much suggest reading this title versus listening. I will look for her works in the Kindle version going forward.

Just slow and boring

I want interested in the mystery. Too many unimportant characters. Not much happened. I gave up. DNF

Too Many Witty Diversions

First of all, there is a lot to like about this story. The author did a really good job of developing a handful of unique and interesting characters. In addition, the author does a really good job with character conversations. They seem realistic and you can visualize the conversation in your head. The main character, Charlotte, also has a really good talent putting together clues.

The frustrating part of the book is the author’s witty diversions that seemed to be added every time the story takes off and gets interesting. It forces the listener to pause, become frustrated and have to wait a minute or two for the story to flow again. It’s like being interrupted in the middle of a good conversation. In the meantime, the witty diversion adds nothing to the story. I wouldn’t cut them all out, but dial them back if there is a sequel.

In some ways, this story seems like to me is a script for a handful of 30 minute TV sitcom episodes. I think it would be a hit.