Alexander McCall Smith's 'The Chocolate Money Mystery' sees two siblings, Max and Maddy, take on the villainous Professor Sardine and his assistant in the backdrop of the picturesque and snow-glistened Swiss alps.The book is written in a style that will allow children to put themselves in the place of Max and Maddy as they leave their family home to help Swiss banker Mr Huddendorf in finding out who has been stealing the bank's money. The children soon discover that the evil Professor Sardine ha...

This is the first book in the Max & Maddy series by Alexander McCall Smith. There are only two books in the series, so I'm guessing this series just didn't take off. I can kinda see why.The story is very odd and implausible and despite the action and drama, the plot falls flat. The book begins with conflict and history that precedes this tale, but with very little details. That story begs to be told, but from what I can tell, it's not going to be. Overall, the story was okay, but not great. It w...

Complete adventure in one hour. McCall Smith gives us child detectives. And chocolate.We are going through a lot of the author's children's books on audiobook at the moment, my seven-year-old is really taken with him. This is a part of a series featuring Max and Maddy, but it didn't need knowledge of the characters to follow what was happening, as often happens, you get some detail as to their history.The title caught our eyes, and we did like the story too - Max and Maddy are Cluedo champions,

I like the introduction when it talks about their parent's detective agency. The different ways that one character shows up again and again and again in the story in disguises was interesting. I mixed up "money" and "monkey" when I read it so that had me extra thinking hard. I like how Alexander McCall Smith writes his books, they are all different and he writes in such a good way that it's pretty cool. Things happen differently than you think they're going to happen and I like that. - age 9

Next book in the Alexander McCall Smith challenge sees the first of a two part series about two young detectives - all over the top and quite humorous with less mystery and more "Dahlesque" adventure. Fun reading though and should be entertaining for the target market audience. This one was after his first book in the adult book and now only one more before the ladies detectives come out.

Chocolate!!!!!!!!!

A fun chapter book mystery which made my daughter laugh out loud and sit and read for almost an hour straight as she wanted to solve the problem. Excellent writing as usual!

This shirt book was such a fun audiobook (read by the author himself!) and my boys and I got a kick out of listening to it together!

the book was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Max and Maddy’s parents once were detectives, until the evil Dr. Sardine framed them and forced them to close their business. Now Max and Maddy are solving crimes themselves, a robbery that leads to a racket of St. Bernard dogs!First of all, the title has nothing to do with the story until the very end. Second, if you listen to this on disk, Alexander McCall Smith does not have a very good reading voice. For a short mystery for kids, stick with the Sherlock Files.

We laughed out loud reading this tonight. I'm always looking for early chapter books that are engaging and do not use dumbed-down vocabulary. In my opinion, this book fits the bill. Alexander McCall-Smith writes as well for kids as he does for adults.The villian is Professor Sardine. He plays mean and nasty tricks like stealing 2000 pairs of underwear, treating them with itching powder and reselling them! Funny to my 9 yo boy!

What was this book about? -- "It was about Max and Maddy and a chocolate money mystery. There was two bank robbers and they stole dogs. They made those dogs bank rob. They found the money."Why did you like this book? -- "Because it was about private spys and I'm one too."Is there anything you did not like about this book? -- "Nope, there wasn't anything that I did not like. I liked everything about this book, because that is what I do."

A crime solving brother and sister! The kids are clever and smart, and truly brave in the face of danger and nasty criminals. Humorous, interesting and nearly believable. (What parents let their kids go solving mysteries in Switzerland unchaperoned?) The characters and plot were well developed and fun, we'll read more Max and Maddy.

A good, straight forward 3rd or 4th grade level mystery. The main characters are respectful, don't call each other names, and exhibit logical reasoning. I would recommend this series for kids who's parents want their children to read about characters with traits they can model their behavior after.

2nd grade chapter book with a good story--children are hired to solve a mystery involving a bank robbery and a dog--in Switzerland. Exotic location for most 2nd graders, but individual kids will either like learning about somewhere else or they won't.

Coming off the success of the Aunts book, we picked up this one at the next library visit. I don't think i appreciated it as much (it wasn't as quirky or creative, in my opinion), but Madeleine was sold for sure. Certainly a book i'd be happy to offer a kid looking for a mystery.

A beginning chapter book mystery that will surely find many friends who will hope for more cases to be solved by Max & Maddy. Readers still developing confidence will appreciate the straightforward language that does not overwhelm.

An engaging chapter book for children. Doesn't condescend to its readers.

Not as good as the Enid Blyton Five Find Outers mystery series in my opinion. The plot was implausible and too dangerous for two kids to get mixed up in. Still glad I read it.

This is a kid's chapter book. For the age category, it really should have 3 stars. Cute.

Super cute, i think I will read this to my 5 year old.

A great book for younger readers, although as an adult I couldn't accept that the villain had successfully trained dogs to rob banks by themselves when it turned out he was abusive to them.

MCL. I thought the bank was very nice to Max and Maddy. I like reading mystery stories.

Cute little madcap story with St. Bernard's and Swiss Chocolate! Would make a nice little animated short.

Great Book for Second Grade. Alexander McCall Smith has a wonderful way with words that makes me want to read out loud! This will be the first Read-Aloud of the year for my class!