Book Review: The Mystery of the Missing Falls: The Kingswell Kid Detectives Book 1 by Jen Weaver and Gayle Veitenheimer PLUS A Giveaway! #KingswellKidDetectives ~

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by The Children’s Book Review. I received a copy of the book to facilitate my review and/or a promotional giveaway item. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book Information

Title: The Mystery of the Missing Falls: The Kingswell Kid Detectives Book 1

Authors: Jen Weaver and Gayle Veitenheimer

Publisher: Kregel Publications (2026)

ISBN: 978-0825452864

Age Range: Ages 8–12 (192 pages)

Series: The Kingswell Kid Detectives — Book 1

Synopsis:
Luka and Ember are ready to put their new detective agency on the map, and the town’s oldest unsolved mystery might be just the case to do it. When cousins Jake and Callie — who are at odds with each other — join the investigation, the young detectives set out to uncover the truth behind the missing falls, help mend an age-old family feud, and discover an unexpected tool along the way: prayer.

Blending high-stakes sleuthing and page-turning adventure with the questions kids really ask about God, The Mystery of the Missing Falls invites young readers to discover that prayer is more than talking to God — it’s part of an ongoing relationship with a God who speaks, listens, and meets them in everyday life.

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org

About the Authors

Jen Weaver is a Bible teacher, podcast host of Good God Talks, and founder and executive director of Life with God Ministries. She’s also a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team speaker, trainer, and coach, and she writes for the YouVersion Bible app. She’s the author of A Wife’s Secret to Happiness and A Beckoning to Wonder.

Find her at thejenweaver.com.

Gayle Veitenheimer is a writer, Bible teacher, speaker, blogger, and host of The Christian Grandparenting Podcast. She earned her Master of Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Find her at gayleveitenheimer.com.

Learn more about the series at kingswellkids.com.

My Review

I have to say, I really enjoyed reading The Mystery of the Missing Falls by Jen Weaver and Gayle Veitenheimer. I went into this book expecting a fun middle-grade mystery, but I found myself genuinely getting caught up in the story and wanting to see where the clues would lead. And now that I’ve finished it, my youngest daughter has decided to give it a go herself, so I’m looking forward to hearing what she thinks about it too!

The story follows cousins Luka and Ember, who have started their own detective agency. Their first case involves a mystery surrounding the disappearance of the waterfalls that gave Kingswell Falls its name. Before long, they are joined by Jake and Callie, and the group finds themselves following clues, digging into the town’s history, and uncovering secrets along the way.

One of my favorite things about the book was simply getting to follow along with the kids as they tried to piece everything together. There are journals, maps, clues, hidden secrets, and plenty of moments that made me curious about what was going to happen next. I enjoyed trying to figure things out right alongside them, and I think young readers will have fun doing the same.

I also really liked the characters. They each have their own personalities, and they don’t always agree with one another…. which honestly made them feel more like real kids. They make mistakes, get frustrated, have questions, and have to learn how to work together. Watching their friendships develop throughout the story was just as enjoyable to me as the mystery itself.

Another part of the book that stood out to me was the way faith and prayer are incorporated into the story. Rather than feeling like a separate lesson added to the adventure, these elements are part of the kids’ everyday experiences. They learn more about trusting God, turning to Him in prayer, forgiving others, and working through difficult situations. I appreciated that the story allows those lessons to unfold naturally as the characters deal with what is happening around them.

There are also some wonderful themes involving family, friendship, forgiveness, teamwork, and trusting God. I think these are especially nice messages for young readers because they’re presented through the characters and their experiences rather than simply being spelled out for them.

And even though this is a middle-grade book, I have to admit that I had a lot of fun reading it myself. There’s something about a good mystery that makes you want to keep turning the pages, and The Mystery of the Missing Falls gave me that feeling. I especially enjoyed the combination of adventure and the faith-based elements, and I can definitely see why it appealed to me enough that I wanted to pass it along to my daughter.

Since this is Book 1 in the Kingswell Kid Detectives series, I’m curious to see where these characters go next. My daughter is now giving this one a try, and I’m interested to hear whether she gets just as caught up in the mystery as I did!

Overall, The Mystery of the Missing Falls was a really enjoyable read for me. It has a good mystery, likable characters, plenty of adventure, and some meaningful lessons woven throughout the story. I especially appreciate books that I can enjoy myself and then pass along to my kids knowing there are positive messages for them to take away from the experience. That is huge for me….. so remember… if you have a young reader who enjoys mysteries and adventure, especially stories that incorporate faith, I think this is a fun one to read together…. or, like my daughter, pick up and see where the mystery takes you!

Giveaway Details

Calling all junior detectives! Follow along on this virtual book tour and enter to win one of five copies of The Mystery of the Missing Falls by Jen Weaver and Gayle Veitenheimer.