Opal Watson: Private Eye

Opal Watson, Private Eye introduces an exciting new middle grade mystery series based on the popular original Pinna podcast that feels like a modern-day version of Harriet the Spy.

Opal Watson loves being a detective. When her neighbor’s cat goes missing or her grandmother loses her cherished cookbook, Opal is on the case. And there is no mystery she cannot solve.

Returning home to Chicago after spending the summer with her Meme Augustine in New Orleans, Opal is nervous to begin school. Despite her parents’ confidence, they worry about her making new friends and dealing with her Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease. When Opal gets paired with a new student, Ivy, to work on their history project together, she is hesitant—after all, she only needs her cousin, Frank, and her best friend, Madison.

But school quickly becomes the least of her worries. Madison has heard disturbances in the apartment building she and Opal live in, the Crescent. Renovations are being done, but it’s unclear where the noises are coming from that are upsetting all her neighbors. Even worse, the old building is the target of developers wanting to tear it down. As Opal begins to investigate, she realizes this will be her toughest case yet.

Can Opal solve the mystery at the Crescent and save her home? And what hidden truths will she uncover along the way?

• A Visually Impaired Protagonist: Opal’s Retinitis Pigmentosa means she uses her cane, Pinkerton, and her other keen senses to find clues everyone else might miss.
• An Unlikely Friendship: She’s a detective who trusts her gut; Ivy’s a new student with secrets of her own. They’ll have to learn to work together to solve the case.
• A Secret Room: The strange noises lead Opal to a hidden, time-capsule room sealed off for decades—a room that holds the key to the building’s past and its future.
• High-Stakes Historical Mystery: It’s not just about strange sounds. Opal must uncover the Crescent’s long-forgotten history to save her home from developers before it’s torn down forever.
• Based on the Hit Podcast: Perfect for fans of the original Pinna podcast and new readers looking for a clever, modern mystery that feels like a classic.