Last night, I just finished reading Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring by Angela Cervantes. This mystery novel is about a girl, Paloma Marquez, who does not want to go to Mexico for a whole month during her summer vacation. She wants to hang out and celebrate the Fourth of July with her friends from home instead. Fortunately, she quickly befriends a boy, Tavo Farill, and two siblings, Gael and Lizzie Castillo. When Gael hands her a note after a reception at the museum of Casa Azul, the home of Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera, Paloma is invited to help solve a mystery. Inspired by her favorite mystery books featuring the teen detective Lulu Pennywhistle, Paloma joins Gael and Lizzie in finding Frida Kahlo's missing peacock ring and figuring out who stole it.
I've always enjoyed mysteries since I was kid reading The Boxcar Children and Nancy Drew, and this one was particularly thrilling. I was drawn into the mystery of the peacock ring right from the very start and desperately wanted to know who would take it and why. The novel kept me on my toes because I was nervous at times that Paloma, Gael, and Lizzie would get caught by the crook. There were definitely a few close calls. Although Gael and Lizzie's secrecy is frustrating at times, the story reveals that they have a personal stake in the case. Besides the mystery itself, I loved the setting of Coyoacán, Mexico. I thought Casa Azul was the perfect place for a mystery because it's an art museum. At the end of the book, there is an author's note in which Cervantes describes her inspiration and the real history of Frida Kahlo. This book is an excellent choice for all mystery and art lovers.
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