Franklin's Emporium: The Pet Shop Mystery

 When Alex and her family move to Golden Bay, she wants to stay well away from the weird department store, Franklin's Emporium. But, with a new kitten in the house, Alex can't avoid the pet shop and soon goes home with a bit more than she bargained for...

 

I opened the door, feeling honoured, and stared at the structure rearing halfway up to the ceiling... Sam was up a stepladder adjusting the mirrors.

 

 The invisicat sprang. It couldn't get a grip on the polished surface, skidded right across the top and flew off the other end. On the way it knocked off the pudding, the dishes and the spoons. everyone span round and stared as, one by one, things cascaded to the floor.

 In the middle of the display was a portrait of Eli and his family. I recognized him easily from his picture in the pamphlets. Next to him was his tired-looking wife, and in front, three small girls, posing stiffly in frilly dresses. At the back, one on either side of Eli and his wife, stood two tall, thin, dapper young men. Arthur and Walter.

Franklin's Emporium: The White Lace Gloves

A positive review of this book from an Amazon customer:

I am delighted with the Franklin’s Emporium books I have read, The Pet Shop Mystery and The White Lace Gloves. The books are attractively produced and from the first two sentences of each I was hooked, intrigued to discover how the stories unfolded. The personality of Alex comes alive in each adventure, as do the other characters. Fantasy and magic are woven into the tales in a way that is plausible and amusing, while Aleksei Bitskoff’s illustrations enhance Gill Vickery’s superb story-telling. I couldn’t put the books down and am sending copies to my niece and nephew, for I know they will love to read them. We eagerly await the next in the series.

 

 "...Franklin's was a huge art deco department store, built about eighty years ago when Golden Bay was what my mum called, "a playground for the wealthy." Then the town went out of fashion and Franklin's closed down. It was put up for sale and let it out in "units"."

 

"...Even though it looked like a squashed toad I recognized the scowl. The green dress flapping round the bony shoulders was familiar as well. And the lace gloves on its clenched hands.

This mummy-thing was... "

 

"...She sat on the bed as if her legs had suddenly turned to jelly and slithered down against the pillows.

"I think I'll have a little nap," she murmured and snuggled up to her pillow like a baby resting against its mum's shoulder."