This story seemed a little flat when read as an adult but I loved the Mrs. Basil framing and the internal adventure of Claudia, the perfectionist oldest child who needed to be/know/do MORE, and the spot-on characterization of her 9-year-old penny-pinching little brother, Jamie. The mystery is pretty mild, the language dated, and the kids as appallingly self-centered as they are amiably self sufficient. Overall, it lacks that bit of zip that I look for in a middle grade book.