Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr. Okyto    by Geoffrey McSkimming Order:  USA  Can Allen & Unwin, 2013 (2013) Softcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Bob Walch Phyllis Wong is a little girl with a talent for performing magic tricks. She comes by this naturally since her great- grandfather was a famous magician. Phyllis lives in an apartment building owned by her father and many of the tenants are her friends. This adventure begins when the owner of an antique store in the building realizes she has been robbed. Mrs. Lowerblast shares her problem with Phyllis but the store's owner doesn't want to talk to the police because she's afraid they'll think she is crazy. It seems the valuable antique bookend disappeared right before her eyes. Since Phyllis doesn't believe in ghosts, she discusses the disappearance with a police inspector who lives in the building. Although he's a bit skeptical at first, Chief Inspector Inglis is willing to believe the story after a priceless necklace magically disappears from the window of the city's most exclusive jewelry store. Phyllis suspects there might be a skilled master of prestidigitation at work here and she has a pretty good idea what the man looks like, but finding him before he strikes again is quite another matter. In fact, she suggests the Inspector set up a trap to nab the suspect but he nearly outwits them. The ending of this exciting and clever mystery yarn for readers nine and older leaves the door open for a sequel, so hopefully Phyllis will return for another adventure. This beguiling, little, sleight of hand artist could have quite a run as an amateur detective. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews