We Had A Hunch

This was an entertaining murder mystery that centres around twin sisters Sam and Alice who, twenty-five years ago as teen sleuths, helped solve a crime that caught the attention of the media. Spurred by their sudden popularity, they decided to tackle a series of brutal murders in their hometown of Edgar Mills that resulted in the murder of their father, the police chief.

Now, twenty-five years later, a copycat murder has occurred and the man who murdered their father will only talk to the twins and Joey, the computer whiz kid who helped the twins put him behind bars. 

This was an entertaining mystery with some great twists (which I didn't see coming), a small-town vibe and an interesting cast of characters, each with their own unique backstory. The story doesn't take itself too seriously and even gives a nod to some of its farfetched plot points, but it was a page turner of a read for me. 

If you enjoyed Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys growing up, this book will give you that nostalgic amateur sleuthing whodunnit mystery experience, but with a darker vibe. Small-town secrets, found family and murder. What's not to like?! I get the feeling this is the first book in a new series!

Welcome to Edgar Mills, if you dare.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Author: Tom Ryan

Genre: Mystery, Canadian

Type and Source: Trade paperback from public library

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada

First Published: Oct 7, 2025

Read: Oct 23-29, 2025

Book Description from GoodReads: Nancy Drew meets Yellowjackets in a new small-town cozy mystery from USA TODAY bestselling author Tom Ryan that asks a simple what happens to your favorite teenage detectives when they grow up?

Twenty-Five Years Ago

Few stories captured the public’s imagination in the year 2,000 like the friendly rivalry between the Teen Detectives of Edgar Mills, Massachusetts. Twin sisters Alice and Samantha VanDyne were thrust in the spotlight when they helped their father Sheriff Bill VanDyne identify and track down a slippery drug smuggling ring. Across town, introverted and bookish Joey O’Day proved himself to be a talented investigator of a different sort when he used his computer skills and idiosyncratic mind to expose an online grifter who had been preying on elderly victims.

The fact that Edgar Mills had not one, but two sets of teenage sleuths did not escape the notice of the press. As the trio began jockeying to outdo each other, solving one low level crime after another, the wider world began to pay attention. Before long, they were a sensation, appearing on talk shows and the covers of teen magazines.

But when a brutal series of murders rocked Edgar Mills, a deadly miscalculation on the part of the VanDyne twins led to the shocking and gruesome deaths of their father, Sheriff VanDyne, and Alice’s boyfriend. The killer, Bruce Phillip Kershaw— better known as The Janitor—was ultimately captured with the help of Joey O’Day, but both Edgar Mills and their beloved Teen Detectives would never be the same.

Today

It’s been a quarter century since The Janitor terrorized Edgar Mills, and the Teen Detectives have grown up. Samantha and Joey have Sam to Los Angeles and a life as a B List reality TV star, and Joey to a lucrative tech career in Boston. Alice, on the other hand, still lives in Edgar Mills, her guilt and heartbreak having taken root and kept her stuck in this town.

When Edgar Mills is shaken by a new murder that appears to follow The Janitor’s MO, Bruce Phillip Kershaw offers, from his maximum-security prison cell, to provide new information that might help crack this new case. The catch? He’ll only talk to the Teen Detectives that put him away.