STARRED Book Review: Simone LaFray and the Bishop of Mumbai

Reviewed by Jaylynn Korrell

A spy mission, high-stakes competition, and a satisfying story of girlhood

Simone LaFray is a spy, a singer, a chess player, and the teenage daughter of a world famous chocolatier. Just as she gets settled back into her impressive lifestyle in Paris, Simone and her mother are called in for a new assignment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The OmniKey, a device of extreme importance to their superior (Eloise), isn’t working properly, and it’s up to Simone to persuade the only person who can fix it.

This is the third book in a series following Simone, and it picks up right where book two ends. With an impressive balance of action and drama, S.P. O’Farrell captures the essence of preteen girlhood with flair and expert espionage. It’s what preteen dreams are made of.

Simone LaFray and the Bishop of Mumbai is a winning combination of the Spy Kids series and The Queen’s Gambit. Simone is competing for the Junior World Chess Championship while she’s juggling a larger spy mission. Spy teens almost always hit the mark for me, but Simone also leads a fascinating life both in and outside of her missions. You’ll be all in by the time you finish the first chapter.

I can’t think of a single preteen girl who won’t want to be in Simone LaFray’s shoes. She’s practical and successful and hard working, but she also saves time to enjoy herself. Her best friend, known as “the V,” balances out Simone’s serious nature with fun-loving quips and an endless list of things to talk about. When the V goes on about her first boyfriend, Simone is reminded that they aren’t just little girls anymore. Growing up is closer than it’s ever been.

Mumbai is the big adventure in this installment. At the Junior World Class Chess Championship, she’s tasked with finding a boy known as the Bishop, whose intelligence can help her superior Eloise get out of a sticky situation.

But things don’t go to plan when in Mumbai. She soon finds out that the Bishop isn’t anything like she imagined him to be. After talking to him briefly, she begins to question everything she’s ever known and the people she’s supposed to trust. The dynamic between the two is thrilling, and their interactions make up some of the best scenes in the book—a tall feat for a story involving a teen spy! There is so much on the line for both of them. The Bishop desperately wants to find his parents, and Simone feels pressure to complete the mission successfully; combined, their narrative provides a real edge-of-your-seat kind of reading experience.

O’Farrell succeeds not only in high-tension espionage storytelling but characterization. Simone isn’t only a spy trying to save the day, she’s also a lover of chess and an easy-to-root-for human; her partner on this mission, Harper, is complex and interesting too. Each character is given enough background through intentional dialogue and backstory that you’ll empathize with all of them.

Simone LaFray and the Bishop of Mumbai is a standalone too! Two books come before it and more will come after it (I hope), but readers get an exciting, satisfying story all on its own—along with two previous books to enjoy right after finishing this one.

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s book review of Simone LaFray and the Bishop of Mumbai by S.P. O’Farrell! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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