Xandra Collins was rich, famous, and missing. After inheriting a fortune, she vanished without a trace, leaving her 100-year-old mansion abandoned. A frightening enemy had been stalking the wealthy heiress. Thirteen-year-old detective Skylar Robbins moves into the deserted estate with her family, and vows to crack the case. Skylar teams up with her BFF Alexa, and Daniel Gannon-the most brilliant … brilliant boy in middle school-to solve the mystery of Xandra Collins’s disappearance.Secret codes and mystifying clues lead to a hidden key. Skylar and Daniel must outsmart Xandra’s enemies and brave life-threatening waves to locate the lock and solve the mystery. Can the team determine how the heiress went missing?before Skylar suffers the same fate?Skylar Robbins: The Mystery of the Missing Heiress won the 5-Star Reader’s Favorite award and seal. “Cross’s characters are credible and finely drawn, her Santa Monica location is perfect, and her plot is suitably twisty and filled with suspense. Skylar Robbins: The Mystery of the Missing Heiress is most highly recommended.” A favorite of both boys and girls, ages 9 to adult.
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A mystery series perfect for ages 9-14, it is reminiscent of the Trixie Belden mystery series of the 1950s and ’60s (reprinted in the early 2000s). Skylar is the typical 13-year-old, dealing with puberty, bullies, and boys, with an atypical ability to solve mysteries. She is completely endearing, from the serious determination she exemplifies when tackling puzzles to the self-talk she employs when dealing with bullies. I fell instantly in love with her, and I imagine young girls will as well. The plot is fast-paced and holds the reader’s interest without fail. The cast of support characters is an equally lovable cross-section you’d find in any US Middle School today. The Skylar Robbins Mystery series is perfect for 21st-century middle-grade detectives at heart. I was gifted a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
An elusive clue about a wealthy missing heiress who vanished without a trace gives teen sleuth Skylar Robbins the incentive to jump feet first into a mystery that left police baffled. The young detective is back in this on-the-edge-of-your-seats suspense, the third Skylar Robbins teen mystery by Carrie Cross, The Mystery of the Missing Heiress.
Skyler and her family purchase and move into the abandoned old home of the missing heiress, providing Skyler with lots of opportunities to investigate and do so legally. However, the teen discovers that there can be consequences for pushing the limits with her parents. Because she makes some bad choices that place her in danger, Skylar ends up having limits set and eventually being grounded. Teen readers can relate to this, making the story more believable.
Budding teen romance abounds, but the mystery is what draws the reader in and won’t let them go until the book’s resolution. Cross has the ability to keep the reader wondering at each plot twist whether the missing heiress, Xandra Collins, is dead, kidnapped or simply in hiding. Lots of obscure clues keep readers wondering how one teenage girl is going to be able to solve the mystery. Luckily Skyler has a best friend, Alexa, whose Dyslexia somehow helps her ability to unravel codes. Add to that a certain brilliant and handsome new boy in class who is glad to lend a hand and The Skylar Robbins Detective Agency is ready to roll.
In her last book, Skylar Robbins: The Mystery of the Hidden Jewels, the teen detective solved the mystery of Xandra Collins’ jewels, prompting her to start the detective agency. After discovering the treasure by decoding a number of difficult clues, she got to keep the jewels. Being rewarded with the jewels and having her own detective agency at such a young age has turned the 13-year-old into the object of jealousy by some of her classmates.
In The Mystery of the Missing Heiress, Cross does a good job of imparting constructive behavior without seeming to do so. Having the young detective stand up to a classmate who made fun of her allowed Skyler to gain confidence and no longer fear some of the other class bullies. The writer successfully deals with personal and online bullying, both hot topics in today’s society, especially for teens.
Just as I, a 66-year-old grandmother was swept up in the antics of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, young readers today will find the Skylar Robbins series of books captivating. They are fresh, fun, and have a goodness about them that will give moms and dads an incentive to keep buying the books as more are published.
“Is Xandra Collins dead?” Read the book. You’ll enjoy it.
The Skylar Robbins Detective Agency isn’t quite turning into what its creator hoped. Skylar is beginning a new semester and had hoped her budding career as a private detective would have taken off by now. After all, she solved one of the biggest cases around when the pros couldn’t. But Xandra Collins is missing. She’s an heiress, and her case just might be what Skylar needs to push her career in the right direction. There’s only one problem–the only clue Skylar has is a message that seems almost impossible to decipher. With her best friend, Alexa’s help, Skylar is going to give this case everything she’s got.
Skylar Robbins and the Mystery of the Missing Heiress, by Carrie Cross, is a fantastic young adult novel centered around the title character, Skylar Robbins. She’s your average seventh grader with all the headaches of growing up. She has a best friend she would do anything for, and she has a crush on the most popular boy in the school. What sets Skylar apart is her innate ability to solve mysteries. She outsmarts most every adult around and has made a name for herself. Being asked to join ACE (Accelerated Courses and Experiments) has given her an edge over her classmates, but she isn’t so sure about being a part of this exclusive group of high achievers.
As a mother and teacher, I love that Cross has incorporated a key character with a learning disability. The author accurately portrays Alexa, Skylar’s best friend with dyslexia. Each school day is a struggle for Alexa, and Skylar has been a huge force in her life since second grade–the two are inseparable. Skylar’s move to ACE classes leaves a hole in Alexa’s life. Facing her most difficult classes without Skylar to lean on, Alexa dreads each day. She is a relatable character and one readers will remember long after they finish the last chapter.
The mystery of Xandra’s whereabouts makes for a great storyline, and Skylar’s determination to find answers and still live a seventh grader’s life give Cross’s book an interesting element. She is a modern day Nancy Drew with all the technology to keep young readers engaged and invested in seeing her succeed.
I can’t recommend Cross’s work enough to young mystery fans. Skylar and the crew will draw readers in with their daily teen drama, but their ability to reason through situations when adults can’t will keep them hooked. I can see Skylar Robbins playing a huge part in young adult literature for years to come.
Great book for tweens. Cute