#544 - The Case of the Missing Turtles : An M4 Mystery Book 2

by Mallika Ravikumar

“The Case of the Missing Turtles : An M4 Mystery Book 2” by Mallika Ravikumar. Published by Talking Cub, the children’s imprint of Speaking Tiger. A thought provoking case of turtles being smuggled investigated by the incredible M4 consisting of three children and a dog.

Shimplya’s father, Surmai Jadhav, who is a fisherman has been arrested with the accusation of smuggling sea turtles. Someone seems to have  placed  smuggled sea turtles and money in his boat. There was no way that Surmai who worships turtles and has been vocal against the use of trawlers to protect the turtles would ever resort to smuggling them. Shimplya seeks the help of his friend Mirchi. The children of the SSP, Meera and Malhar, are Mirchi’s friends after they solved a case of burglary resulting in the unravelling of an antique smuggling racket a few months back. The M4 group formed by Meera, Malhar, Mirchi and his dog Munna decide to investigate this matter. What starts off as a simple case to find who is behind the arrest of Surmai Jadhav turns into a much bigger and complex case of wildlife poaching.

As the M4 go about their investigation, they uncover more and more hidden truths. Freshwater turtles which have been passed off as sea turtles to get Jadhav arrested are being poached rampantly from the Daula National Park. The Forest department has known about the racket but has only been able to nab either the hunter or the local trader at the most. They haven’t been able to trace the kingpin who deals with the international customers. The M4 traverse from exotic pet shops in Maulsari to village markets where the poached goods are traded. The children learn quite a bit about the wildlife laws in the process. From donning disguises to risking their lives the M4 leave no stone unturned as they join hands with the forest department and trail the suspects. Will they be able to bust the racket? Can the turtles be saved? Read the thriller of a story to know how protecting wildlife is not an easy task.

This is the second book from the M4 Mystery series of legal mystery books. I and my ten year old had eagerly been waiting for this ever since we read the first book from the series called “The Case of the Vanishing Gods” last year. This book proved as exciting and action packed as the first. The adventure was nail biting and we just couldn’t resist turning the pages to know what was coming up next. There wasn’t a single dull moment and we felt like we were in the thick of action. The characters have become endearing for us and we can’t wait for the next one in the series now :) The book touches upon several important topics such as wildlife laws, poaching menace, work routine of forest officers, exotic pet trade and prejudice against tribals like the Pardhis. While the wildlife laws are needed they have come at the cost of displacing tribals who have lived in harmony with the forests for centuries. Having been rendered jobless, they have to face lot of prejudice from society as well as those in power. This makes them vulnerable and they end up taking part in poaching for the sake of their livelihood. The end note has a section on how all of us can do our bit in tackling the poaching menace. This strengthened our existing resolve to not encourage exotic animals as pets as well as being responsible tourists when we travel. Overall a “MUST READ” to create awareness about protecting our wildlife.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 10 and above.

Where to buy from?

The publishers Talking Cub here.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Talking Cub, for review. Thank you to Tanu, from Talking Cub, for sending across the book!