“There was a town, and there was a statue, and there was a person who had been kidnapped.”

From Lemony Snicket’s All the Wrong Questions: When Did You See Her Last?

Young Lemony Snicket is still in the small and mostly abandoned town of Stain’d-by-the-Sea with his guardian Theodora.  While he was not able to solve the first mystery surrounding the statue of the Bombinating Beast, Lemony is learning more and more each day about the criminal mastermind responsible for the recent slew of crimes in town.  Things take a dangerous turn for Lemony when he and Theodora are tasked with finding a young missing chemist named Cleo Knight; while the girl’s parents and family doctor (Dr. Flammarion) do not seem concerned with Cleo’s disappearance, the family maids are positive that Cleo did not leave willingly.  Desperate to find the truth, Lemony investigates at several of the places she was last seen, but the conflicting witnesses only add to the confusion.  When some special books are returned to the library, Lemony is able to catch a glimpse of what is really going on in the case.  However, the closer he gets to solving the mystery and finding Cleo, the more young Snicket realizes that he will need the help of his new friends Moxie, Pip, Squeak, and the not-quite-trustable Ellington.

The second book in Daniel Handler’s (A.K.A. Lemony Snicket) mystery series is full of the same twists, humor, and sarcasm that made Series of Unfortunate Events such a success.  The young protagonist is bright and relatable, making him the perfect narrator to lead readers through the story.  Even though the story is simple, it is complex enough to keep readers engaged from start to finish, with a few surprises along the way.  When Did You See Her Last? is a fun read that provides readers of all ages with some laughter and enjoyment.