Once Upon a Crime

In P. J. Brackston's engaging prequel to Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints, we meet a 35-year-old Gretel, now a private investigator living in the quaint town of Gesternstadt with her brother, Hans. When a local cart maker's workshop is destroyed and a body is found in the rubble, Gretel becomes embroiled in a web of mystery while initially focusing on her high-paying case involving three missing cats. As the investigations intertwine, she faces grave dangers, including accusations of kidnapping and a narrow escape from a murder charge, all while navigating the chaos with the help of her tipsy brother.