Callie and Bo are best friends. Together they have set up SPUD – the Super Perceptive Undercover Detectives. With the help of Callie’s pet Mynah bird, Bo, this is the second case the girls are hoping to solve. Bo’s special talent is that he can talk, communicating with Callie through her “slugs” (hearing aids) and the three are a great team.

On a school trip to the Tower of London, Bo stows away in Callie’s rucksack and the adventure begins. Two people are acting suspiciously and SPUD are on a mission to solve the case of the theft of precious gold coins from one of the exhibits. Bo’s ability to communicate with both his human friends and the ravens who guard the Tower allow them to get right into the investigation. As the story unfolds, the investigation takes them all over the museum as they chase their suspects. They even get to work with real detectives!

The author, Karen Owen, has been partially deaf since childhood and uses this series to bring relatable characters that children with hearing loss can identify with. In the character of Callie, this is very much a superpower rather than a disability.The black and white illustrations by Louise Forshaw are a great addition to the story.

This is a fun, easy read and a good introduction to the detective genre for readers aged 6+.