Julie Berry celebrates her latest book this evening at Author’s Note

Crime and Carpetbags will be released with a celebration this evening at Author’s Note in Medina.

MEDINA – Medina native Julie Berry will launch her latest middle grade novel, Crime and Carpetbags, at 7 p.m. tonight at Author’s Note, the newly reopened book store at 519 Main St.

Berry, a New York Times Bestselling author, recently relocated with her family from Los Angeles to buy and renovate the former Book Shoppe.

She will read from, discuss and sign copies of her new novel, which is the second installment in her Wishes and Wellingtons series. Books will be available for purchase in-store and online.

Crime and Carpetbags picks up where Wishes and Wellingtons left off, with spitfire Maeve Merritt, her friends Tommy and Alice, and an irascible djinni named Mermeros getting into magical hijinks in and around late-Victorian London.

Now that Maeve has surrendered Mermeros, she expects her life in London will be dull as dirt. But villains from Maeve’s previous escapades are still searching for the djinni, now in the hands of Mr. Poindexter, Tom’s adoptive father. When Mr. Poindexter and Mermeros go missing, the trio soar off to find Tom’s dad and that rascal, Mermeros, before the djinni’s fabled wishes fall into the wrong hands.

Booklist says of the novel, “Berry unfolds a charming and witty Victorial adventure, marked by a mysterious villain, flying carpet bags and a daring rescue, but it’s the tight friendship among Maeve, Alice and Tom that makes the story soar.” Kirkus Reviews says, “Fans of E. Nesbit and Edward Eager will find much to love. This action-packed sequel posses strong voice and setting.”

The event this evening is free and open to the public.