The Etiquette of Voles - by Karen B McCoy (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Life is lonely in Queen Victoria's London, especially for a talking vole. Chains may be the equal of any human detective, but there's one case he can't solve: where he came from and why he can speak.

Luckily, he has the help of Eldridge, the retired investigator he lives with. Their latest job-a shipload of missing fish destined for experimentation-might provide some needed answers. But when Eldridge is kidnapped, Chains is left without sanctuary at a time he badly needs friends. Especially with profiteers, scientists, and pirates from London's mad scientific underbelly after his hide.

The more clues Chains unearths, the more certain he is that finding Eldridge will also unlock the mystery of how Chains originally came to be, and might even offer him a place to truly belong. But someone he thought he could trust doesn't want that to happen. A talking vole may offer a significant breakthrough, but a silenced one is preferred.

Review Quotes

"...a heart-pounding mystery about identity, belonging, and what it means to have a voice..." --Lisa Schmid, author of Ollie Oxley and The Ghost and Hart & Souls

"A thrilling romp through Victorian London's seedy underbelly, led by a talking vole whose detective intuition is as sharp as his wit." --Michelle Schusterman, author of My Otter Half

"An action-packed Franken-mystery of a story. Forget Sherlock. If there's a crime to be solved, I know what resolute rodent I'd want on the case!" --Cory Leonardo, Junior Library Guild Honor winner

"A cozy mystery told by a charming narrator that is guaranteed to be a big hit with third, fourth and fifth graders." --Gennifer Choldenko, Newbery Honor winning author

"With quirky characters, unexpected surprises, and a little danger, young readers will have a blast trying to solve the mystery right alongside Chains--I know I sure did!" --Beth McMullen, author of Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls

"This fast-paced inventive middle grade mystery is filled with as many twists and turns as a dank Victorian London alleyway. Expect Dickensian orphans...and a sinister scheme set around the docks of London that is delightfully fishy, foul and fun!" --Hillary Homzie, author of If You Were a Princess

"Thought-provoking, atmospheric, and full of heart, The Etiquette of Voles is an inventive middle-grade mystery that will appeal to fans of animal protagonists, historical settings, and cerebral adventures." --The Children's Book Review

About the Author

Karen B. McCoy is an author, librarian, and tea enthusiast. She maintains a blog, The Writer Librarian, where she interviews other authors. She has also reviewed books for Library Journal and Children's Literature, wrote a feature article for School Library Journal and contributed a chapter to Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. She currently lives in Northern California with her husband and two very opinionated cats. This is her first published novel. Lena has been drawing since childhood and filled her school notebooks with doodles. But life took me Lena in other directions, and she stopped drawing for many years. She moved to beautiful British Columbia from Saint-Petersburg, Russia, in 2017, and was so inspired by that beautiful place that she started drawing again and fell in love with art even more and in a completely different way. She loves spending her creative days inventing characters and worlds for them. She's addicted to children's book illustrations and loves to give warmth and joy to children through her illustrations.