THE CASE OF THE ZOMBIE NINJAS

In Martin’s middle-grade novel, tween sleuth Dotty Morgan’s latest supernatural case is her scariest yet.

Elderton, North Carolina may seem like any old small town, but it’s home to a brilliant supernatural sleuth named Dotty Morgan. The 12-year-old Black girl previously saved her town from the phantom of Waverly Perchance (The Case of the French Fry Phantom [2023]) and is now faced with an even bigger challenge. Sato Jin, the owner of a corporation who has recently purchased an outpost at Elderton’s Blue Devil Castle, has shown an interest in Dotty’s antique Japanese sword and cup, as well as in her detective business. Dotty has found that the objects have abnormal levels of ethereal energy and isn’t sure who to trust. Meanwhile, a new family from Japan has moved into town; mysterious daughter Sakura Suzuki stirs up feelings of rivalry and jealousy in Dotty’s girlfriend, Hannah, after the latter loses a duel in kickboxing class. Dotty has to juggle a litany of problems—from bullying to relationships to being attacked in the middle of the night by zombie ninjas—but she handles them all deftly and intelligently. With help from her school’s secretly powerful lunch ladies, Hannah’s brother (Finn), and her own friends, Dotty sets out to right an ancient wrong and discovers there is more to the cup-and-sword puzzle than meets the eye. Martin’s story may sound outlandish, but the action-adventure plot coheres well and keeps readers consistently engaged. The circumstances change by the second, and every decision has very serious implications. The frequent twists and surprise revelations repeatedly leave Dotty and her audience questioning who to trust in a nuanced way that forces readers to confront the complexity of each character’s motives. This ties in well with the very real consequences of the story’s ending, which Dotty addresses: “I figured no matter how intense things got, it would turn out okay. Now, I know that’s wrong.”

A wild and fantastical mystery adventure that has something for everyone.