SuitabookHigh-Rise Mystery
Sharna Jackson
- Reading
- If murder mysteries appeal, read alongside the child to track clues and pause after major revelations. Afterwards, discuss which suspects were judged fairly and how the sisters’ actions affected their safety and wellbeing.
- Themes
- Child-led justice-seeking: Nik and Norva investigate a murder on their home estate despite adult involvement and the risks of entering an adult situation. Their determination and ingenuity are made engaging, but the investigation also places them in danger and exposes limits to their judgement.
- Community and belonging: The Tri is presented through its residents, shared activities, distinctive flats and neighbourly disagreements. The community is given warmth, variety and vitality rather than being treated only as a backdrop to crime.
- Racial bias and policing: The police response is described as shambolic, with a Black man treated as a prime suspect while white locals are overlooked. The disparity and police incompetence are presented as troubling social commentary, though the police depiction is also described as overplayed.
- Worth knowing
- Murder and death are central, including the discovery of a body and references to traumatic effects. The investigation also involves danger, tense encounters, police failings and a Black man being treated as a prime suspect while white locals are overlooked.