ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Bailey's second Stevie Diamond mystery finds the preteen sleuth and her tenderfoot partner, Jesse, joining Stevie's father at his tree-planting camp in the mountains of British Columbia. They're looking forward to hiking, fishing, and missing a week of school, but they soon learn they'll be spending most of their time baby-sitting for Alexander, the camp cook's hyperactive five-year-old son. Stevie's dismay turns to excitement, though, when strange things begin occurring, and it appears that Alexander and his mother are entangled in the mystery. Of course, Stevie and Jesse eventually manage to trap the culprits, but not before they misread important clues, give themselves away, and narrowly escape capture several times. Middle-school mystery fans will enjoy Bailey's entertaining story: clues are nicely placed, the plot unfolds at a brisk pace, and Stevie is an engaging heroine who botches things up believably. (Reviewed March 15, 1996)

Horn Book (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

After money is stolen from her mom's environmental project, sixth-grader Stephanie self-styles herself as 'Stevie Diamond, Detective.' She cracks the case and goes on, in her next adventure, to sack a smuggler during a stay at a tree-planting camp. Stevie and her sidekick Jesse are appealing and down-to-earth, even if they lack the panache of a Nancy Drew. The books are unattractively designed.

School Library Journal (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Gr 4-6--Twelve-year old detective Stevie Diamond and her partner Jesse Kulniki take off for a wilderness vacation at Stevie's father's tree-planting camp in the mountains of British Columbia. Little do they know they will be wrangled into taking care of Alexander, the five-year- old son of the camp's head cook. Baby-sitting is Stevie's least favorite occupation, but she becomes more interested in the job when she learns about Rubberface Ragnall, a smuggler who has ransacked the trailer in which Alexander lives. It seems that the child's mother unknowingly rented their Vancouver house to this unsavory character and has been regretting it ever since. Now, he's followed them to this remote spot, but no one knows what he's looking for. False leads and mistaken identities add to the fun of racing around the mountainous terrain; there's also some discussion of environmental concerns interspersed in the conversations. The character development of enterprising Stevie and precocious Alexander is predictable, and the supporting cast is definitely flat. However, the nimble plot development and integration of the unique setting into the story line make this Canadian import, the second "Stevie Diamond Mystery," a cut above most detective series for this age group.--Linda Wicher, Highland Park Public Library, IL