With a haunted escape room setting, a touch of magic, wholesome friendships, grumpy poltergeist antics, and a Solstice kidnapping, this pitch-perfect middle grade book will appeal to fans of Dungeons & Dragons, Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, and The Sherlock Society.
Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Riley Dare: Slightly Witchy Sleuth by M. K. England, which releases on September 15th 2026.
Riley Dare is a master of solving puzzles. After all, she helps run her aunt’s beloved escape room, Level Up, and makes it extra special thanks to the flicker of magic she’s gifted with. Need some extra shadows? Some spooky lighting? She’s got it covered.
But when a celebrated author of children’s mysteries vanishes during the latest, greatest escape room she’s designed with her aunt, one themed after the biggest unsolved heist in her small town’s history, things get complicated fast.
Not only is the author missing—and oh, maybe there’s a ghost inside the escape room—but with reservations being canceled left and right alongside the police investigation, there’s a chance Level Up might not survive. Riley will have to team up with her closest friends to figure out what’s going on, and how all this might be tied to that same unsolved heist from twelve years ago. A heist that happened on the day she was born…
It’s her greatest puzzle yet, and Riley Dare is on the case.
But when a celebrated author of children’s mysteries vanishes during the latest, greatest escape room she’s designed with her aunt, one themed after the biggest unsolved heist in her small town’s history, things get complicated fast.
Not only is the author missing—and oh, maybe there’s a ghost inside the escape room—but with reservations being canceled left and right alongside the police investigation, there’s a chance Level Up might not survive. Riley will have to team up with her closest friends to figure out what’s going on, and how all this might be tied to that same unsolved heist from twelve years ago. A heist that happened on the day she was born…
It’s her greatest puzzle yet, and Riley Dare is on the case.
Loading…
Reload document 
Open in new tab 
