Piu DasGupta - The Golden Monkey Mystery - Book Review - Nosy Crow Books 2026

Are you ready for an exotic jungle adventure? Well, it's time to inhale this riveting adventure that promises to captivate readers from the very first page. With exquisitely woven narrative threads and a vivid setting, this book takes us on a journey through the enchanting jungles of India, perfectly blending themes of bravery, discovery, and the fight against adversity.

In this imaginative tale, we meet the indomitable Roma Moreau, who aspires to break barriers and become the first woman to study at the Bengal Medical College. Her unwavering determination leads her to uncover the elusive golden monkey, a creature shrouded in mystery and myth. The stakes rise as Roma embarks on a dangerous quest to return the monkey to its home in the majestic Himalayas, armed only with a mysterious map and her fierce courage.

The characters are richly developed, with Roma’s journey reflecting not only her personal ambition but also the broader struggles faced by women in a patriarchal society. The supporting characters add depth and dimension to the story, including bandits, a talking cat, and mystical elements that transform them into a shimmering golden quest that you will absolutely love.  

The author’s descriptive prose invites readers to visualise every scene: from the lush greenery of the forest to the suspenseful moments that keep readers on the edge of their monkey pants. The interplay of reality and magical realism in the narrative invites young readers to dream, ponder, and engage with the world around them.

Beyond entertainment, the book also imparts valuable lessons about female history, conservation, resilience, and the importance of following one’s dreams, making it not just a story but an educational tool for young minds.  

In this outstanding second book, Piu Dasgupta skillfully crafts a personal tale that resonates with readers of all ages. *The Golden Monkey Mystery* is not just a book; it is an invitation to explore, learn, and believe in the magic of adventure. Mark your calendars—this literary treasure is one you won’t want to miss!

**BOOK Release:** Coming January 15, 2026, *The Golden Monkey Mystery* is highly anticipated and certain to leave a lasting impression on all who embark on this journey.

For more information and to preorder, visit [Nosy Crow]

Nizrana Farook - The Girl Who Stole an Elephant - Book Review (Nosy Crow) - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

Nizrana Farook is the author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant which is due to be published on the 9th January 2020 by Nosy Crow Books. The book cover illustration is by David Dean who had the voters support in our recent book cover wars heat. The book cover is very appealing with its great use of vivid colour - it will certainly draw readers to it from any shelf. 

This is a brilliant and thrilling middle-grade debut book that draws upon the location of the author's native home of Sri Lanka. The wild beauty of the landscape sets the story off really well. It's a dazzling and delicious tale of the exotic which captures the attention of the reader with its beauty. 

The book features a host of well-written feisty characters that inject a spark of magic. We are first introduced to Chaya, the main character, as she is running away from the Royal Palace. We soon learn that she has been involved in stealing the Queen's Jewels. Chaya is known as a loveable and spirited character with a sparkling gem for a heart, however, this venture backfires royally. This is a lovely heartfelt story built on friendship to correct wrongdoing as she finds herself on a breathtaking and uplifting adventure in the jungle with her friends and an elephant.

This story will lead you on a fast-paced journey that is fraught with danger. Chaya finds herself fleeing from the palace guards and the village that both she and her friends once lived in. Danger strikes at will and their only protection is a huge elephant and their whits. The characters will light up your heart and your soul with warmth and great dialogue. Whilst the wildness of the jungle will sweep you off your feet. It is vividly written and has a creative flair full of sights and smells that make you feel like part of the story. 

This is a glorious story about a jewel thief escaping into the jungle: a rebel, a royal revolution, a bandit and maybe even a hero. What more can you want from a narrative? This fuels an adventure of a lifetime that will be loved by everyone.  It's a book that I would wholeheartedly recommend, so pick it up and give it a read. What a cracking start to the New Year, 2020. 

Candy Gourlay - Bone Talk - Book Review (Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books)

Amazing cover illustration by Philippine illustrator Kerby Rosanes

Samkad lives in a tribe deep in the Philippine jungle at the end of the nineteenth century, and has never encountered anyone from outside his own tribe before. He's about to become a man, and while he's desperate to grow up, he's worried that this will take him away from his best friend, Little Luki. However, Samkad's world is about to change utterly. A strange man with white skin arrives in his village, and Samkad discovers the brother he never knew he had. A brother who tells him of people called `Americans'. Americans who are bringing war, and burning, to Samuel's home...

The remarkable primitive culture of the Philipines, many years ago, has been brought to life by Candy Gourlay. Bone Talk is set around 1899, a period which is known as the Philippine-American War. It's a fantastic story that will be published on the 2nd August 2018 by David Fickling Books. This will be the author's third published book and, in my opinion, the best book to date. You are all definitely in for a great historical treat. 

Some books grab the attention of the reader well before you turn the first page. The idea for this book is very intriguing as you are instantly transported back in time to 1899, Bontok. Like small ripples in a pond, this book will reach out to the fantasy brain and stay with you for some time. The story is told from a Filipino perspective, which I really loved and depicts the beating heart of tribal life in the Philipines around that time. It is brilliantly written, weaving historical facts and research together to deliver a plot that, hopefully, reflects the time as authentically possible.  

It's a fantasy story that itches at the skin through the brutal reality of life and will ask many questions of the reader along the way. It is a reflection of a time that many people will be very unfamiliar with. However, it makes the reader want to know more. In fact, I became really emotionally involved with the story. I wanted, on so many occasions, to be able to climb up the nearest tree and experience what was going to happen first hand. Pure armchair fantasy! Nevertheless, it's a very hard-hitting book that combines a basic way of life with a dark and macabre reality from death and war.

You will love one of the main characters called Luki. She is very well written and dances off the page with a playful charm and cheekiness. She will make you chuckle as her character really does deliver a lighter-side to the plot. 

I loved this book in so many ways. It's diverse, very challenging and really made me think. I feel as if I have lived every moment of the story. You set off on a mundane ramble and end in an explosive narrative that finds the Philippine tribes move beyond the village into an unknown world. This is a great young-adult read that strikes away from the norm. It certainly shook me from my reading perch as it was enjoyable on so many levels. 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books Recommendation: James King - Jungle Jim and the Shadows of Kinabalu

I just wanted to highlight this book from last year, as I really loved it and wanted to take this opportunity to recommend it to you all. It has everything required, and more, in an extremely good read. It is:

• Fast paced;
• Action packed and non-stop; 
• A wild jungle and very descriptive; 
• Superhero, cool characters, monsters and bad villains;
• Dark, mysterious and engaging plot;
• Monsters, myths and madness;
• Middle Grade Read 9+.

It has absolutely everything needed to make this an amazing read, so make sure that you check out the synopsis below.  If it sounds like your kind of book then please track a copy down and help a fantastic debut author on his way. Buy Book Here

‘Jungle’ Jim swings into action in his first exciting adventure, as the superpowered simian tries to shed some light on the mysterious Shadows of Kinabalu. In this hilarious modern spin on the timeless werewolf myth, young ice-hockey star, ‘Jungle’ Jim Regent travels to Borneo looking for lost love and adventure, getting more than he bargained for after he is cursed by a tribe of mysterious Iban Headhunters. Now, whenever the moon turns orange, he transforms into an eight-foot-tall, walking, talking orangutan! He’s not a werewolf, he’s a werangutan. He’s not a monster, but an Ancient Protector of Borneo – and the world beyond.

The cursed Jim now finds himself living the double life of a superhero as he battles the forces of the Shadow Emperor, an evil overlord who has been dragged into our universe by the reckless Dark Matter experiments of the mad scientist Doctor Gila. These diabolical villains command their army of Dark Matter Shadows from the ruins of a top-secret US government laboratory buried deep beneath the mighty Mount Kinabalu. 

But Jim is not alone in his battle against the darkness. Fighting alongside him is an oddball group of friends and colleagues: Rufus McFly, a young academic whose expert knowledge of ancient civilisations is invaluable to Jim; Ruthie Moo, a beautiful and resourceful British Secret Agent, and Jim’s childhood sweetheart, Sengalang, the ancient shaman of the Iban Headhunters; Wira, a highly intelligent baby orangutan fully trained in espionage; and a team of specially trained monkeys!

This band of unlikely heroes must survive a crazy, colourful, ancient, dangerous world, where nothing is what it seems and where everything, from the other-dimensional bad guys to the creepy crawlies, are out to get you. 

Andy Briggs - The New Adventures Of Tarzan: The Savage Lands - Book Review

                                               
We are now swinging into the third instalment featuring the world's first eco-warrior, Tarzan. The Savage Lands is Andy's latest explosive adventure which sees Tarzan being brought back to life within a modern day setting. Tarzan will be a hot topic this year as he is celebrating his 100th birthday and an animated Tarzan movie (by Constantin) is due to hit the UK at the end of the summer. Therefore, there is no better read in which to get you into the mood of Tarzan and his fascinating life.

In this epic book we see Lord Greystoke arriving at the logger's camp which is found deep in the Congo. Hoping to track down his elusive long-lost cousin Tarzan, he will stop at nothing to eliminate the potential of him inheriting the Greystoke legacy. However, Lord Greystoke also has other things on his mind, which become much clearer later on in the story.

Andy was a great choice of author to write this series of books. He has a fantastic style in which he writes descriptive and realistic settings. Upon reading, you feel like you're actually in the jungle looking down from a massive tree and watching all the action that is going on first hand. It's Andy's personal jungle vision that he shares with us through words, but like no other author does.

It would appear that his involvement in writing movie projects such as Freddy Vs Jason has perhaps, in my mind, given him the experience to pack a book with a lot of screen-like action. Travelling through this high-octane journey you will visit the sprawling ancient city of Opar. It feels like something straight from the movie set of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The evil insane Queen La is an absolute joy to read. She is a seriously twisted and dark-to-the-core female character. I loved her role in the book; I really wanted to read more.

This book finishes with a breathtakingly action-packed finale, which will definitely take a little bit of time to sink in. I really loved reading the Savage Lands. In my humble opinion, this is the best book in the series, so far. This is another fantastic read -  hopefully there's a lot more to come.

Published By Faber and Faber (7 Feb 2013)

+++Andy Briggs - Tarzan:The Greystoke Legacy - Book Review+++

                                             

What lies in the depths of the jungle? Escaping a dark secret, Robbie Canler joins an illegal logging team in the Congo jungle. Now they're under siege from a sinister force. When the daughter of the camp's boss, Jane Porter, goes missing, they assume bloodthirsty rebel soldiers have kidnapped her. Robbie sets out on a rescue mission - unaware he is being watched . . . Are the rumours of a feral man raised by wild apes true? If so, can the mysterious untamed savage be trusted to help them? Tarzan: a Legend Reborn

Tarzan first went to print around a hundred years ago, written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan first came to life in a magazine publication (October 1912) through 'The All - Story'. Two years later this was made into a book format - since then there have been 25 sequels, and well over 50 films. 


Andy Briggs has had the big task of writing a new series bringing the legendary character back to life, but through a modern day setting and aimed at a younger audience. So how has he done?


Well, Andy has kept most of the key details true to the original story which I was pleased to see. He has not messed around with the classic elements that readers have historically fallen in love with. However, what he has done is placed the characters within a modern day setting. Obviously many aspects have changed dramatically within the last 100 years and therefore, Andy has done a great deal of research which shows through the detail of the setting. The Congo has been intertwined expertly into the story - it deposits you deep down within the jungle of Central Africa. Whilst Tarzan's re-vamped character has an Eco-warrior approach to saving the jungle from being cut down and running out the evil characters.


I really enjoyed this introduction to the new series - it is a great classic action adventure which I soon became engrossed in. The detail and the story are most plausible as they are not overly exaggerated but instead bring serious issues to light. This is a great jungle adventure, which in my opinion, both boys and girls should really love reading. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book 'Tarzan: The Jungle Warrior' which is out in July 2012. Tarzan is back and that's a good thing.....

Jim Eldridge - Jungle Kill (Black Ops Series) - Book Review

This will have you running for cover............
The author, a former member of the HM coastguard, gives a thrilling taste of action through his new series Black Ops. Already he has many war-conflict books to his name but this has a slightly different edge to it. I was looking for an easy read, within my ever increasing pile of waiting-to-be-read books, when I eventually came across this book. A quick read of the synopsis left me interested in the story and so I quickly settled down to read it from cover to cover.

This book is a high action-packed military romp through the jungle. To be honest there's nothing new about the subject matter - it's a straight forward read from start to finish. But the great aspect in reading this book is that you don't need to think - the story takes over. Quickly your heart and soul are soon following six men on a mission to free a West African freedom fighter, who has been kidnapped by a ruthless group of bandits. 

The book is very well written - the dialogue between the characters is both realistic and infectious. The main character Mitch has to gain the trust of his new covert team and that doesn't come easily.

The other great thing about this book involves the detailed knowledge of weaponry and tactical details being deployed throughout, which develops into an appealing and informative read. This book has a subtle violent undertone, which is developed at all levels. It makes a great read for all those who like action combat adventure themes.

Will this be a series to look back on? Well, we'll just have to wait and see, but not for too long as book two is due out in August 2010. It is entitled 'Death in the Desert' and looks to be another maxed-out adrenalin adventure for us to get our teeth into. Can't wait . . . . . can you?

Jungle Kill is published by Egmont Books out 4 June 2010