Jada Sly and her father have not been getting along since Jada's mom died six months ago in an airplane crash. Jada is certain her mom is a spy and is not dead. Her father believes Jada is improperly grieving, so he's not impressed when she claims to see her mother watching her. With the help of new friends in the International PIE Society, which is a cover for a group of "spies" in training, Jada hunts down her one lead note her mother left, which reads "Charles 21." Readers won't be too surprised to find Jada is correct r mom is a spy, was going to turn in traitors among her organization, and had her plane sabotaged for it. Sadly, their reunion is short-lived as Mrs. Sly must remain in hiding for the family's safety. Winston has created a spunky character in Jada, a fashionable artist and independent girl who isn't afraid to take on a few adults in the search for the truth. Hopefully Jada will be back for future missions.

Stylish 10-year-old Jada Sly does not believe that her diplomat mother died in a plane crash; can her new top-secret spy crew help her decode the mystery behind her disappearance?Jada's father has been named the new director of the African-American Sly family museum, causing the little family to relocate from France to New York City. Papa calls her a "strong little black woman," but she's been having panic attacks since that crash. She also insists that her mother is alive. After all, Jada's convinced Mama was really a spy, so her disappearance must just be part of a mission. At her new school, she befriends Brooklyn, another African-American girl, who introduces her to the secret spy club, and Jada is thrilled to enlist their help with her real-life mystery. All Jada knows is the name of a co-worker her mom mentioned before rushing off to allegedly catch her flight. Armed with that knowledge and glimpsing furtive men everywhere, she hatches a plan with her friends. While Jada's family history and her interest in art are memorable, her narration doesn't quite find its footing, at times sparkling but at others repetitive. The thriller plot is aimed squarely at genre beginners, requiring readers to follow Jada's reasoning without question in order to find satisfaction in the over-the-top conclusion. The book's design, however, with both Winston's own grayscale illustrations and select text picked out with red highlights, is as snazzy as Jada.A beginner thriller with some real gems in it. (Mystery. 8-12)

Gr 3-5 Jada Sly: she's smart, she's fun, she has a fierce new hairdo, and she's about to begin a brand new life with her father in New York City. Her mother, with whom she has been living in Paris, recently perished in a plane crash, or so she's been told. The story unfolds as Jada's making friends at her new school and gathering clues about her mother's death. She deals with her grief and makes observations about the world around her by drawing in her journal. She sees herself as an amateur spy and doesn't believe that her mother is actually dead. She thinks that she keeps seeing both her mother and the same strange men following her throughout the city. In an attempt to discover the truth about her mother, Jada and her friends begin a chase for clues. The reader is unsure throughout most of the story whether Jada is simply a girl grieving her mother's passing, or if her mother is really alive. At times the story is dark and sad, especially when it's implied that Jada may be seeing visions because of grief. An unresolved ending involving a spy ring sets up the title as a series opener. At times, the story is engaging, and Jada and her friends are likeable and authentic. Leaving the truth about her mother unresolved for so much of the story is confusing and sends the plot into the realm of drama rather than mystery/adventure. VERDICT A secondary purchase for collections where middle grade mysteries are in demand. Pilar Okeson, Severn School, Arnold, MD