How to be a Super Detective!

Scoop McLaren detective editor here, and today I'm going to share with you what it takes to be a super detective!

When my roving reporter Evie Andrews and I are in the midst of solving an incredibly tricky mystery, narrowing down suspects and chasing up leads, I would have to say a lot of factors come into play. So, I have come up with a list of the top ten qualities needed to be a super detective. 

Ready? Here we go...

Number 1: Above everything else, a super detective needs perseverance and determination – in other words, you must never, ever give up! It took loads and loads of determination to track down and bring Sonny Fink to justice but just imagine the consequences if we hadn't!

Number 2: Patience is a must-have, not only when we're spending possibly hours at stakeouts, but in general because sometimes it can take a while to crack a case.

Number 3: A clever mind is paramount when you're looking for clues. When Evie disappeared in Waves of Mystery, she used her clever mind (and our secret language!) to leave a clue for me, alerting me to the danger she was in.

Speaking of secret languages, it's great to have one. Evie and I never know when the culprit could be sitting right next to us, so it's important to be able to communicate in a way that no one else can.

Number 4: Courage. When Dad and I finally came face-to-face with Sonny Fink, I had never been so scared! I could have easily run in the opposite direction (Dad too!), but I knew I had to summon up the courage to see the mystery through.

Number 5: Teamwork! The ability to work as part of a team is very important. I think Evie and I make a pretty awesome team. We communicate well, listen to each other's ideas, and have each other's back, no matter what.  

Number 6: Good instincts. As everyone knows, I'm famous for my “funny feelings” or, as I like to call it, my “sixth sense”, and I believe every super detective needs one. Sometimes you have to just rely on your intuition, when that little voice inside you tells you that something is just not quite right. That little voice is rarely wrong, I have found.

Number 7: A sense of humour. While sleuthing can be a pretty serious business most of the time, it's a good idea to still make time for the fun things in your life. Dad's sports journalist Kenny taught me that. 

Number 8: An eye for detail. I can't tell you how incredibly important this is to a super detective. The things that most people would simply see past, a super detective notes down because, in all likelihood, these are the things that help you to crack a case in the end.

Number 9: Super sharp listening skills. When interviewing witnesses or suspects, it's important to really listen to what they are saying and how they say it. It may be a clue that a witness thinks nothing of but you pick up on. Or it may be a carelessly uttered  sentence or two that a suspect inadvertently blurts out that helps a super detective to solve a mystery.

Number 10: Trust. Trust is super important when it comes to being a super detective. In fact, without trust you don't have much of a chance. Trust in your instincts, trust in the people you surround yourself with and trust in yourself. It will get you through every time. 

Learn more about how to be the best detective in Scoop's book, Scoop McLaren: Detective Editor, and then again in her most recent story, Scoop McLaren: Waves of Mystery!

Scoop McLaren 1: Detective Editor

What do you do when an evil newspaper editor wreaks havoc in a quiet coastal town? Sonny Fink writes online news that is uploaded at one minute past midnight every night. The news is always frightfully awful and if Sonny writes it, it is bound to happen. Thirteen-year-old detective and reporter Scoop McLaren and her best friend Evie are set on a mission to uncover the identity of the evil Sonny Fink..

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Scoop McLaren 2: Waves of Mystery

Feisty detective editor, Scoop McLaren, is back and this time the mystery has her sailing into uncharted waters! When Fletcher, Scoop's childhood friend enters the Higgity Harbour top surfing competition, strange things start happening... It looks like someone could be out to stop Fletcher from winning! With her roving reporter, Evie, by her side, Scoop investigates all avenues. Can she track down and rescue her friend to solve this monster wave of a mystery once and for all?

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