Dramas & Plays
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Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective: A Modern and Witty Mystery (Not a Detective Mysteries)
"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
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
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
Editorial Reviews
Praise for CHARLOTTE ILLES IS NOT A DETECTIVE
"[A] rollicking debut…Charlotte is a delight." -The New York Times on Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective
"A wonderful premise…Siegel's dialogue is fresh and funny as the trio [of Charlotte, Lucy, and Gabe] takes on the case while also navigating relatable topics such as dating, queerness, job fulfillment, gender identity and the struggle to find reliable roommates." -BookPage
"The reader is happy to follow where Charlotte leads….A solid mystery is served up, and Charlotte finds herself polishing old skills, not ready to not be a detective, after all." -New York Journal of Books
"Siegel has whipped up an amusing premise and populated it with charming characters." -Publishers Weekly
"Charming…Not since Lisa Lutz's The Spellman Files has there been such a delightful literary marriage of endearingly quirky characters and deliciously dry wit. Fans of Francine Prose's The Maid or Meg Cabot's Heather Wells mysteries will equally embrace the arrival of Charlotte and her cohorts on the detecting scene." -Library Journal STARRED REVIEW
"Notes of a Gen-Zer, with writing on the edge."-Kirkus Reviews
"All clues point to fun in this queer, grown-up Encyclopedia Brown-style zany mystery. And, much like Encyclopedia Brown, you're gonna have to pay *very close attention* to the details if you're going to keep up with Charlotte Illes (who, of course, isn't a detective)." -Olivia Blacke, author of Killer Content
"For anyone who ever wondered how Nancy Drew or Encyclopedia Brown are doing now that they're all grown up, former kid detective Charlotte Illes is here to tell you: Not Great. An immensely fun, voice-y read with a twisty mystery that is very relevant to today, I can't wait to see what Charlotte (and Lucy and especially Gabe) get up to next!-Mia P. Manansala, author of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-winning
"[A] rollicking debut…Charlotte is a delight." -The New York Times on Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective
"A wonderful premise…Siegel's dialogue is fresh and funny as the trio [of Charlotte, Lucy, and Gabe] takes on the case while also navigating relatable topics such as dating, queerness, job fulfillment, gender identity and the struggle to find reliable roommates." -BookPage
"The reader is happy to follow where Charlotte leads….A solid mystery is served up, and Charlotte finds herself polishing old skills, not ready to not be a detective, after all." -New York Journal of Books
"Siegel has whipped up an amusing premise and populated it with charming characters." -Publishers Weekly
"Charming…Not since Lisa Lutz's The Spellman Files has there been such a delightful literary marriage of endearingly quirky characters and deliciously dry wit. Fans of Francine Prose's The Maid or Meg Cabot's Heather Wells mysteries will equally embrace the arrival of Charlotte and her cohorts on the detecting scene." -Library Journal STARRED REVIEW
"Notes of a Gen-Zer, with writing on the edge."-Kirkus Reviews
"All clues point to fun in this queer, grown-up Encyclopedia Brown-style zany mystery. And, much like Encyclopedia Brown, you're gonna have to pay *very close attention* to the details if you're going to keep up with Charlotte Illes (who, of course, isn't a detective)." -Olivia Blacke, author of Killer Content
"For anyone who ever wondered how Nancy Drew or Encyclopedia Brown are doing now that they're all grown up, former kid detective Charlotte Illes is here to tell you: Not Great. An immensely fun, voice-y read with a twisty mystery that is very relevant to today, I can't wait to see what Charlotte (and Lucy and especially Gabe) get up to next!-Mia P. Manansala, author of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-winning
Readers Top Reviews
Julie Failla Earh
“Nancy Drew” was the first book series I read as a child, and, if memory serves, I did read all fifty-six of them. Maybe it was because the back cover copy tells us that it is nostalgic (albeit a much younger nostalgia than mine) that Nancy resurfaced in my memories. Still, it was fun to relive those wonderful days of lying on the couch consumed with the latest un-putdownable episode that evoked such warm feelings for Charlotte. When Charlotte “Lottie” Iles was ten years old, she solved a small mystery at her elementary school. She became an overnight sensation and was soon helping lots of people solve little mysteries at school and in the community. But now Charlotte is twenty-five years old. She is unemployed, lives with her mom, had no love life and a small social life. She is worried that she has “peaked.” But the universe is giving her one more chance to get her act together. It seems that the company where her brother’s girlfriend, Olivia. works is trying to organize. Seems outdated in 2023 that unions are still considered a threat and that companies will do anything to stop it. But once I started reading this book, I saw it everywhere on the news. And so a dead body of one of the other employees turns up. But that’s not the thing that captures Charlotte’s attention. It’s the murder and the disappearance of Brian, one of Olivia’s co-workers that lures Charlotte back into detecting. Joined by her two best friends, Lucy and Gabe, the trio pits their heads together and gets to work. A cozy mystery disguising itself as a mystery, this mixture of past and present amateur sleuthing gives “Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective,” a wonderfully innocent, yet amusing, aura that last until all the mysterious elements are resolved. Therefore, “Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective,” received 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
Miss W Book Revie
Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective by Katie Siegel is a book that checked every single box for me. I am a huge fan of cozy mysteries and this book was everything I needed and wanted. This cozy mystery with LGBT rep is so well written. This is what the cozy mystery genre needs. Charlotte Isles is in her 20's and a former child detective, which has seemed to shape her life no being unemployed and a bit lost. Her brother asks her to solve a mystery for his girlfriend and though she isn't really interested initially, she does it for her brother. The friendships in this book are so real. Charlotte is queer and Gabe is bi trans and this was so relatable to me, I absolutely loved this. As a queer person, seeing this rep in a book always makes me so HAPPY and SEEN. The mystery which involved the corporate world and unions was really well written. I felt as if I was going on an adventure with Charlotte and her friends. This book was SO good , I just can't say enough good things about this book!
Nancy K. Napier,
The book is fun and funny on many levels. The premise—that a child detective’s successful (former) career comes back to haunt her at every turn—means lots of chances for people to probe her past and invite her to solve problems. Even and especially her brother (from whom she wants to be estranged but he’s a persistent guy) sucks her in. The range of memorable characters is wide and wonderful, starting with Maggie, a diner owner and almost second mom, who saves Lottie from disastrous first (only) dates with so many women. I loved the wit, the romp, and Charlotte’s push-pull with her background. Very enjoyable.
