Download from Apple iTunes (eBook) pauline hosking Booktopia Book depository Category:  Children Publisher: lilly pilly publishing ISBN-10:  0994398263 Pages: 190 Copyright: December 2015 ISBN-13: 9780994398260 Price: $3.90 (eBook) Cinnamon Stevens investigates the disappearance of a class mate during a Year 7 camp. Twelve year old Cinnamon dreams of being a super sleuth. Her chance comes when a class mate disappears during a school camp. BUT…does Cinnamon have the Nerves of Steel necessary to solve this dark and dangerous crime? Will her Wing Chun Kung Fu skills protect her? And can she survive Year 7 without her very best friend? This fun, adventure/mystery story for readers 10+ is firmly set in Victoria, Australia. Cinnamon lives in the Dandenong Ranges. Her investigation begins with the penguins of Phillip Island and ends in a heart-stopping chase through the laneways of Melbourne. Coco, age 11 says: ‘This is a REALLY good book. One of the reasons I liked it was that the police said that Becki had been found but Cinnamon did not believe it!’ Samantha, age 12 says: ‘AWESOME! I loved Cinnamon and her friends and can’t wait for their next story.’ The paperback is available from The Book Depository, Booktopia or Dennis Jones Distribution. The ebook version can be downloaded from Amazon and the Apple ibook store.

Buzz Words
Cinnamon Stevens Crime Buster by Pauline Hosking (Lilly Pilly Publishing)
PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 978-099439826-0
Reviewed by Kel Butler on buzzwordsmagazine.com


Cinnamon Stevens wants nothing more in life than to be a crime buster, a super sleuth, the world’s greatest detective. Just like her dad…and her brother. So when classmate, Becki, disappears without a trace from school camp one night, Cinnamon sees it as her big chance to crack the case. Recruiting the help of friends Meera and Cossie, the girl brigade embark on a hapless adventure of twists and turns, chasing down criminals and steering themselves straight into the heart of danger. Will this team of amateur sleuths find Becki and save the day? Or has Cinnamon bitten off more danger than she can handle?

Cinnamon Stevens Crime Buster is a fun whodunit chapter book, for the 10 plus age group, with a definite skew towards girls. Written in a diarized format, complete with footnotes and diagrams, this book is Cinnamon’s own account of the case of the missing Becki.

Cinnamon is an interesting character, caught between a strong sense of purpose, a desperate need to prove herself and the insecurities teenage girls struggle with the world over. Before she can unravel the case and prove her detective skills, Cinnamon needs to face her own fears, overcome her anxieties and learn to trust herself. This is as much an everyday story of friendship, family and acceptance, as it is a kidnapping mystery.

Cinnamon Steven’s Crime Buster is Pauline Hosking’s first book but certainly not her first piece of writing for this age group. Pauline has a long history of writing plays for children, teens and adults and as I type this review she is writing Cinnamon’s next big adventure…


Carolyn Gilpin, YA author blog
Cinnamon Stevens is such a funny feisty character! Her energy and verve really pulls you along into the story, along with her touching moments of lacking confidence. She has a naivety that is sweet and very much what I'd hope for in a twelve year old, and it is amusing for the reader to see what she misses, and wonder when she'll catch up.

That's not to say that she isn't smart and very observant, just that in her enthusiasm for solving crimes, she sometimes overlooks the obvious. She is also worried about the usual things of becoming a teenager, changing body, romantic interests, and the perils of friendships and families.
While she is a bit girly at times, she is also a tomboy who is learning a form of martial arts and rides a skateboard, which is refreshing.

I enjoyed Cinnamon's company, and especially her friendships with Cossie and Meera – the author has really captured that fear of moving to high school without your old friends, having to make new ones, and trying to prove yourself to your classmates. She also brings in a real element of location, including the Dandenong Ranges, Phillip Island, and Melbourne itself, which works well.

All in all, I hope Cinnamon's detective career continues and we get to follow her adventures in solving crime and in growing up.

PS I really liked the footnotes too, they added to Cinnamon's character & were a clever way of explaining stuff :)


Manager's Comments, Belgrave Library, Belgrave, Victoria
When the new girl at school, Becki Shrieber goes missing overnight during the Year 7 camp on Philip Island, her tent buddy and amateur crime buster, Cinnamon Stevens is on the case. Aided by her friends Cosette and Meera, Cinnamon keeps detailed notes of her sleuthing activities and despite her fears and dire warnings from her family – she gets to the bottom of this mysterious disappearance.
This book has believable characters in a local setting with lots of fun, food, family and friendships.
Highly recommended for grade 6 or Year 7 readers.