Book Review - The Jinson Twins, Science Detectives & The Mystery of Echo Lake

Title: The  Jinson Twins, Science Detectives & The Mystery of Echo Lake
Author: Steven L. Zeichner
Publisher: Createspace
Released Date: 2 Sep 2011 
ISBN-13: 978-1463700805

Synopsis
The Jinson twins, Joe and Debbie, decide to start a business during their summer vacation, hiring themselves out to do odd jobs. They find themselves in an odder job than they counted on when Mrs. Gray, who lives with her talkative parrot, the Captain, in an old house down off River Road, engages them to help clean out her basement. Aided by their friend, Mr. Benjamin, the proprietor of the Resource Recovery and Recycling Center (a.k.a. the junkyard), the twins use the clues that Mrs. Gray’s late husband, a former sea captain, left behind to figure out, using scientific principles, where the captain hid his enormous collection of antique Spanish gold coins. But some other people know about the treasure too and have no intention of letting an old lady who spends most of her time with a parrot, an old man who runs a junkyard, and a couple of kids get the treasure. 

My Review
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This arrived in my post yesterday and as I finished a book last night I thought I might as well start on this one straight away as it was only 175 pages I knew it wouldn't take me long and I was done in about 2 hours.
The Jinson twins, Debbie and Joe want something to do over summer and so advertise for jobs, when they get hired by Mrs Gray they start to rethink things, but then they get on the trail of some treasure and really get into solving the mystery.
This book isn't like anything I normally read, and I was slightly hesitant about it as I was never really into science at school, but this book is very cleverly done, it isn't too complicated or detailed, it makes the mystery fun and intriguing. 
The clue to find the treasure is a sort of riddle that involves echoes, sound distances, cricket chirps and temperature control, I know this sounds like an odd mix and a bit complicated but the way it's put together is genius.
Debbie and Joe are likeable characters and have a great connection with each other, I wanted them to succeed. Mr Benjamin is odd but likeable, he is the brain power behind the mystery and pulls the story on. Mrs Gray is very odd, slightly rude and very proper, but I quite like her quirky behaviour.
The plot was very well thought out and the pacing is really good, the story sweeps you along and I read this in one sitting.
Very cleverly done, a great book for young readers (8-12 years) mainly, but older ones may still enjoy it too. Think it would also be good for slightly younger kids if parents read it to them, they can work out the mystery together.

My Rating