Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

The Australian Shepherd Scheme by Simon Drayton is a short young adult mystery set in Little Rock. The story begins when Penny arrives at the Novel Detective Agency. Her Australian Shepherd puppy, Pumpkin, was missing, and she needed help finding him. John Smith, an 18-year-old investigator for the agency, was up for the challenge. However, nothing could have prepared him for what would happen next. Turns out, five puppies from the same litter as Pumpkin had also vanished, and the seller’s house was messed with. It is now up to John Smith to figure out what happened, where all the Australian Shepherds went, and bring them back home. It was a race against time, and the task was becoming bigger than John anticipated. Could John find them all before it was too late?

I enjoyed Simon Drayton's short, entertaining, and engaging mystery. The story was full of intrigue, and the execution was fantastic. I loved how the story opened with John, gave the reader an introduction that would help them form a connection with him, and then introduced the mystery. I felt bad for Penny and wanted to know what truly happened to the litter of Australian Shepherds. John was a reliable protagonist to follow. He was focused, determined to find the puppies, and was open with his thoughts. I loved his interaction with Cinnamon. She was adorable and the perfect sidekick as they tried to find her littermates before time ran out. The narrative was fast-paced, and the story was well-written. The Australian Shepherd Scheme was the perfect pick-me-up I needed, and I loved it!