By Scarlett Li (author) , Sian James (illustrator)
"A delicious new detective mystery starts at the Lucky House Chinese takeaway."
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June 2025 Debut of the Month
Felix Lee and his best friend Isaac love detective stories so when a crime – of sorts – occurs in Felix’s parents’ Chinese takeaway, the Lucky House, they’re determined to solve it. Who knocked over Optimus Prime, aka the Lees’ lucky money plant and can they save the family luck?
At first, the list of suspects features everyone in the takeaway at the time, including regular customers, though Felix also adds his nemesis, super smart Nina Ding. As they set about solving the mystery though, it gets bigger: could the accident that befell Optimus have something to do with long lost Chinese treasure?
This is a very good junior detective story, well plotted, full of incident and just the right number of red herrings and false trails. Felix, Isaac and Nina (who gets involved of course) are great characters and the busy setting of the takeaway, plus regular descriptions of the meals Felix’s mum cooks for family and friends give it an added deliciousness.
The story celebrates intelligence and community, and how good to have a British-Chinese family in the spotlight.
Mystery with a side order of friendship!
The first in this cosy crime middle-grade series set in a Chinese takeaway, created in partnership with Storymix and author Lui Sit. With black-and-white internal artwork.
Felix and his best friend Isaac love mysteries – chasing clues, identifying suspects, catching criminals – they can’t wait to open their own detective agency. So when Felix’s parents’ Lucky House takeaway is cursed with a spate of bad luck, Felix is determined to find the culprit.
The boys’ investigations lead them to a clue: an ancient coin with a square hole at its centre. Could this lead them to secret treasure? (Un) fortunately, ‘Nosy’ Nina Ding, Felix’s sworn enemy, may have the answers. While volunteering at the local museum, Nina spotted an old Chinese jewellery box with an indentation in the same shape as the mysterious coin. Does Leighton-on-Sea have more links to Hong Kong than Felix could ever have imagined?
A warm and witty celebration of community, friendship and family, that centres the British-Chinese immigrant experience alongside a diverse cast of supporting characters.
Scarlett Li is a pseudonym for author Lui Sit, who was born in Hong Kong, raised in Australia and lives in London. She writes children’s middle-grade books, adult short fiction and non-fiction. Her other children’s books include Land of the Last Wildcat (Macmillan, 2025). She is happiest by the sea, within a forest or in a library – preferably with chocolate and/or coffee within reaching distance.
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Mystery with a side order of friendship! The first in this cosy crime middle-grade series set in a Chinese takeaway, created in partnership with Storymix and author Lui Sit.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Lucky House Detective Agency and determined it is suitable for children aged 7-10 years old
The Lucky House Detective Agency features in the following genres: Featured Books for 7+ readers, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, Adventure Stories, Crime & Mystery, Stories about Family and Friends, PSHE: Multiculturalism, Diversity and Inclusion, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback. Not Available.
The Lucky House Detective Agency was written by Scarlett Li and published by Knights Of Media
The Lucky House Detective Agency has 171 pages
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