Opal Watson Private Eye, Brittany J. Thurman
Opal Watson Private Eye, Brittany J. Thurman
List: $21.99 | Sale: $14.95
Club: $10.99

Opal Watson: Private Eye

Author: Brittany J. Thurman

Series: Opal Watson

Narrator: Maya Graves

Unabridged: 4 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Storytide

Published: 04/15/2025


Synopsis

Opal Watson, Private Eye introduces an exciting new middle grade mystery series based on the popular original Pinna podcast that feels like a modern-day version of Harriet the Spy.Opal Watson loves being a detective. When her neighbor’s cat goes missing or her grandmother loses her cherished cookbook, Opal is on the case. And there is no mystery she cannot solve.Returning home to Chicago after spending the summer with her Meme Augustine in New Orleans, Opal is nervous to begin school. Despite her parents’ confidence, they worry about her making new friends and dealing with her Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease. When Opal gets paired with a new student, Ivy, to work on their history project together, she is hesitant—after all, she only needs her cousin, Frank, and her best friend, Madison.But school quickly becomes the least of her worries. Madison has heard disturbances in the apartment building she and Opal live in, the Crescent. Renovations are being done, but it’s unclear where the noises are coming from that are upsetting all her neighbors. Even worse, the old building is the target of developers wanting to tear it down. As Opal begins to investigate, she realizes this will be her toughest case yet.Can Opal solve the mystery at the Crescent and save her home? And what hidden truths will she uncover along the way?

About Brittany J. Thurman

Brittany J. Thurman is the author of the picture books Fly and Forever and Always and the middle grade mystery Opal Watson, Private Eye, and the coauthor of the middle grade novels Fearless: Boulevard of Dreams and Fearless: The Takeover, both written with Mandy Gonzalez. She is a former children’s specialist, dedicated to ensuring children’s literature truthfully reflects the world in which we live. Brittany holds an MFA in dramatic writing from Carnegie Mellon University and a BA in theater from Kingston University, London, England. She is an avid traveler and has lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but now resides in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Manon the Malicious on September 28, 2024

I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a great middle grade. I really liked the main character and her drive. I liked how curious and how smart she was. I loved getting to know her and her friends. I also find the whole mystery plot quite interesting and it kep......more

Goodreads review by Amunet on April 03, 2025

A huge thank you to Brittany J. Thurman and HarperChildrens for the copy of Opal Watson: Private Eye! 🕵️‍♀️📚✨ This middle-grade mystery had a lot to love! 💕 Opal is a fantastic protagonist—curious, intelligent, and determined. 🧠🔎 Her love for solving mysteries shines through in every part of the......more

Goodreads review by Vicky on August 03, 2024

Opal loves helping friends and family find answers to problems, and now her friend Madison says she can hear noises in her bathroom wall. At the same time Jesse, a contractor, is in charge of renovations in their building, and If they aren’t done in time the building will be sold and possibly torn d......more

Goodreads review by Therearenobadbooks on May 04, 2025

I liked this character a lot. She approaches her investigations, and even her attitude towards homework and projects at school is with a mind frame of a journalist searching for facts, not rumors or ghosts. She is very confident and proactive. I felt like I was missing books 1 and 2, but this is the......more

Goodreads review by NK on May 03, 2025

Probably a 3.5 overall, rounded up to 4 stars. This was a pretty solid middle-grade mystery with some fantastic disability representation! I love an apartment building as a setting and this one had hidden rooms, mysterious tenants, and a reluctant remodeling to boot! I think the mystery itself could......more