Daniel Finn - Two Good Thieves - Book Review

Mr Ripley's Review

The city is burning in the South American sun. The river is baked to a trickle of brown water. And a gang of child thieves are out lurking in the city looking to relieve unsuspecting passersby of their valuables. When Demi and Baz steal something big the story takes a turn. The story tells the hardship and living the rough life of Barrio where they are always looking over their shoulder.
I loved reading this book as I was drawn into the children's lives and the journey of the characters throughout the book. A great story adventure with great bouts of action moments layered alongside tension. Some great emotional parts which add to the story, such as when the gangster-type bad guys 'come out to play' all fighting for top dog.
A great debut story and a well crafted plot; building a world where people struggle to live a life without crime. Perhaps not the most original plot but still interesting. I give this book four out of five. I will be interested to see what the author produces next.

Published By Macmillan Children's Books 3 Jul 2009


Book Synopsis

In the searing heat of an unnamed South American city, a gang of child-thieves runs wild. Demi has the gift of speed - he can pick a pocket and be gone before his victim has even noticed he was there. Baz is his lookout - no one sees her unless she wants them to. It's like a game: dodging the law, keeping one step ahead, being the fastest, the cleverest, the best. But one day, almost by accident, they steal a dazzling, beautiful, priceless jewel - and make a very dangerous enemy. Suddenly they're sucked into a world where children's lives are worthless, where the rich and powerful are just adults who steal on a much grander scale, and where secrets are traded like gold. Their only hope is to make a brave bid for freedom - to head upcountry, away from the unrelenting heat, the dried-up river, the only home they've ever known. When good and bad are meaningless, two child thieves become the beating moral heart of an unputdownable thriller.

About the Author

Daniel Finn is a well-travelled teacher and writer who has written several books for younger readers, published under another name. When he started to write Two Good Thieves, he knew it was different from anything else he'd done - so he started to lead a double-life, with two names and two very different writing styles. He lives and works in Surrey, with his wife and two grown-up children. He is currently writing a second book, set in the same country as Two Good Thieves, which will be published by Macmillan in 2010.

More Books For The Busy Month Of July 2009

Mr Ripley has some more great books to bring to your attention for the busy month of July. Also Some recommended U.S titles for May to get your teeth stuck into.

J.C Bemis - The Mystifying Medicine Show - Oxford University Press - 2, July 2009 Paperback

Orphan Ray has been separated from his sister. The only clue to finding her is a lodestone, left to him by his father before he vanished. The lodestone tugs Ray towards a train bursting with astounding characters. Soon Ray is hurtling across the Wild West, joining in as they perform their enthralling medicine show. But something dark is following the train. Something that wants to steal people's souls. How long before Ray realizes it? And can he and his new friends do anything to stop it?

Michelle Lovric - The Undrowned Child - Orion Children's Books - 2, July 2009 Paperback

It's the beginning of the 20th century; the age of scientific progress. But for Venice the future looks bleak. A conference of scientists assembles to address the problems, among whose delegates are the parents of eleven-year-old Teodora. Within days of her arrival, she is subsumed into the secret life of Venice: a world in which salty-tongued mermaids run subversive printing presses, ghosts good and bad patrol the streets and librarians turn fluidly into cats. A battle against forces determined to destroy the city once and for all quickly ensues. Only Teo, the undrowned child who survived a tragic accident as a baby, can go 'between-the-linings' to subvert evil and restore order.

Rob Stevens - The Mapmaker's Monster:Vampanther Attack! No 2 - Macmillan Children's Books - 3, July 2009 Paperback

In their next hilarious adventure, Hugo and Savage travel to the unchartered mountains of deepest Transylvania, where nothing is as it seems. With a fortune telling cat, an anxious wolf-man and some seriously angry rabbits to deal with, can Hugo rescue Uncle Walter from the clutches of the evil vampanther lord before it's too late?


Picture book recommendation from a great team must check this out.

Julia Donaldson Author and David Roberts Illustrator - The Troll - Macmillan Children's Books - 3, July 2009

Trolls are supposed to lurk under bridges, ready to eat billy goats, and pirates should always dig where 'X marks the spot. But what happens when goats are hard to come by, map reading skills aren't up to scratch and everybody has rumbling tummies? This is a rib-tickling tale, brilliantly woven together by a winning picture book team.


The U.S Book Picks for May 2009 is:

Book One:

Patrick Carman's third book in the Atherton series entitled The Dark Planet Published by Little, Brown Young Readers - May 1, 2009


In the dazzling conclusion to the epic story of Atherton, Patrick Carman takes readers on the most rewarding journey of all, to the perilous realm of The Dark Planet: Earth.

When Edgar discovers a way to leave the mysterious satellite world of Atherton, he couldn't have imagined the gloom that awaited him on the dark planet, where the oceans are toxic, the forests are full of mutant monsters, and children toil in darkness, controlled by ruthless maniacs. Max Harding, an orphan of the Silo, the maker of Atherton, and the last hope of a dying world, left this place behind, and now Edgar is determined to complete the mad scientist's spectacular plan, revealing Atherton's true purpose.


Book Two:


Michael Grant second book Hunger:A Gone Novel Published by HarperTeen - 26, May 2009 Hardback


By It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ.

Three months since all the adults disappeared.

Gone.

Food ran out weeks ago. Everyone is starving, but no one wants to figure out a solution. And each day, more and more kids are evolving, developing supernatural abilities that set them apart from the kids without powers.

Tension rises and chaos is descending upon the town. It's the normal kids against the mutants. Each kid is out for himself, and even the good ones turn murderous.

But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.


Thanks for reading!

And please email us if you have anything you would like to see on this blog or just pass on some information.

F E Higgins - The Eyeball Collector - Book Review

Mr Ripley's Book Review

This is my favourite book, out of the series of three, so far. I love the deep and dark sophisticated world of Urbs Umida. It takes a trip in time, to another captivating Gothic tale, of one boys revenge against an evil swindler and actor of great cunning. Hector finds himself embroiled in mysterious deeds and an even sinister plot. Will Hector get his revenge or will it take on a life of its own?
Hector is out to find revenge after his father is swindled (losing everything, including his reputation) and then eventually dies. The story takes the reader on a great journey, leaving them breathless through the fast paced and intricately plotted adventure found on every page. The dark twisted characters make the book and atmosphere come alive. F E Higgins has a great way of writing this type of story. I love the butterfly theme which is intertwined in this story and the riddles that are used throughout the book. The story hooks the reader in and then spits them right back out again. Engaging them in trying to shake off the ongoing account of the inhabitants of the forbidding Gothic house of Withypitts, where the story climaxes to a great ending which fulfills the story. This is a great read for anyone who like bumps in the dark and limbs that run away with friendly cats and servants who like to be sucked dry by leeches just after supper! So I give this book five out of five as I was caught and hooked in this world and only let myself out to feed the great Hairy-Back Hog knocking on my door with a hungry look in it's eye. Tartri Flammis!

Book published by Macmillan Children's books 6 June 2009


Book synopsis

When his butterfly-collector father is swindled to within an inch of his life, a vengeful Hector leaves the city of Urbs Umida in pursuit of a fiendish villain with a glass eye. The trail leads to Withypitts Hall, a forbidding Gothic mansion as warped as its inhabitants and their secret schemes. Soon Hector finds himself embroiled in mysterious deeds more poisonous than his worst imaginings, but every twist and turn brings him closer to his revenge ...The third dark and diabolical book from a devilishly talented author.

About the Author

F. E. Higgins has been fascinated by the macabre ever since seeing a ghostly apparition as a child. Nowadays F. E. travels the lands that these books describe, collecting strange artefacts and the even stranger secrets and stories behind them. The Black Book of Secrets and The Bone Magician, the first results of these eerie explorations, have sold all over the world. When not in pursuit of a story, F.E. may be found in a haunted house in Kent. She sits with quill in hand, a false leg beside her and from the mantelpiece an eyeball watches the words she forms on the page.


Other books by this author.

The Black Book of Secrets (2007)

The Bone Magician (2008)

The Eyeball Collector (2009)

Pete Johnson - The TV Time Traveller

Mr Ripley's word of mouth book for June. Covers the subject of world war in a new concept for children and teachers.


This book really started in a primary school classroom, over thirty years ago.

My favourite teacher, Mr Karr, had the excellent habit of ending each day with a story. But one day, instead, he read aloud from diaries and letters of children who'd been evacuated during the
Second World War. At first I was a bit cross at not having a proper story - but soon I was absolutely riveted. I t stirred up an interest in World War II - and especially life on the home front - which has endured to this very day.

Then, a little while ago, I was chatting with a Year Five teacher who had to teach Evacuation as a topic. She was saying to me. 'It's hard to bring such a time alive to modern children because their lives are so very different with their mobile phones and wall to wall reality television.'

Now, when she said that I didn't exactly jump up and cry ' Eureka' but I tell you, I came pretty close.
And right then I began imagining a reality television show which sent modern children away to live life exactly as those evacuees did, with rationing and gas masks and very strict discipline. Yet, it would also be a 'Big Brother' style show with constant surveillance, evacuees being voted out - and a mysterious command to: 'always expect the unexpected.'

We watch the clash of two very different worlds through the eyes of five children including, Zac. Since the death of his mother, Zac has felt as if he is stuck in a horrible dark void. But his passionate interest in the war years though, has given him a secret door into another time. So the chance to live as an evacuee appears like a dream come true ...

But nothing on a reality television show is what it seems ...

Researching this book has been a special pleasure. I've loved, too, constructing a twisty plot, which asks questions about both life then and now - and I hope too, it shows the past isn't quite as faraway from us as we might think.

Book Synopsis

Zac and Izzy win a place on a new reality TV show, but they have no idea where they're going or what to expect ...They must live as if it's 1939, the start of World War Two. One by on they will be voted out by the viewing public. It's a hard life and, desperate to be the final winner, problems occur. When the live final arrives, the contestants and the audience will all be stunned by what occurs.

About the Author

PETE JOHNSON began work as a film critic for Radio One, then became a teacher. His experiences in the classroom led to his beginning to write and he still keeps contact with a panel of young readers to gain the viewpoint of the actual reader as he writes new titles. He is the author of several titles for the Corgi Yearling list.


Corgi Yearling Books (4 Jun 2009)

New Children's Books For July 2009 (Hardbacks)

This is some of the best Hardbacks to be released in the month of July. Next post will look at U.S book releases from May-July 2009.

Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell Barnaby Grimes:Phatom Of Blood Alley Doubleday 2 July 2009 (Book Four in a great Series of books by the award winning Duo)

Barnaby Grimes is a tick-tock lad, high-stacking his way across the rooftops of his city in search of adventure and mystery. In each tale, he encounters a supernatural force and must battle the horrors that await him. In the fiercely competitive world of early photography, the rewards are immense but so are the risks. After an experiment goes disastrously wrong, Barnaby finds himself on the trail of a mad chemist with a talent for disappearing into thin air...


James Patterson - Daniel X:Watch the Skies (Daniel X Children Edition) Doubleday 2 July 2009

Daniel X has his work cut out for him. A teenage alien hunter, he has a deadly list of evil predators to eliminate and while he's made it all look easy so far, much darker days await him. Next on his list is number five, an unsightly and terrifying alien who is watching Daniel as intently as Daniel has been tracking him. Number Five kills for thrills but not just for his own. He is operating a sinister entertainment network and innocent people are unknowingly the stars of the show. But while Number Five may have managed to brainwash the public, is he cunning enough to outwit the alien hunter? As the two seek to destroy one another, who will be the ultimate winner? And will Daniel X live to see who is next on his list?


Chris D'lacey - Dark Fire (David Rain) - Orchard 2 July 2009( Book Five in the Happy clay Dragon saga.)


With the Earth on the brink of recolonisation by dragons, David Rain is sent on an important mission: to seek out and destroy a trace of dark fire, the deadliest force in the universe. But with success could come a terrible price, the sacrifice of a beloved clay dragon. How much does the life of one small dragon count, when the alternative is the birth of a darkling...?

Daniel Finn - Two Good Thieves - Macmillan Children's Books 3 July 2009
(Ripley's Recommended Read)
In the searing heat of an unnamed South American city, a gang of child-thieves runs wild. Demi has the gift of speed - he can pick a pocket and be gone before his victim has even noticed he was there. Baz is his lookout - no one sees her unless she wants them to. It's like a game: dodging the law, keeping one step ahead, being the fastest, the cleverest, the best. But one day, almost by accident, they steal a dazzling, beautiful, priceless jewel - and make a very dangerous enemy. Suddenly they're sucked into a world where children's lives are worthless, where the rich and powerful are just adults who steal on a much grander scale, and where secrets are traded like gold. Their only hope is to make a brave bid for freedom - to head upcountry, away from the unrelenting heat, the dried-up river, the only home they've ever known. When good and bad are meaningless, two child thieves become the beating moral heart of an unputdownable thriller.

Linda Buckley-Archer - Time Quake (Gideon) Simon & Schuster Children's 6 July 2009
(Book three in the enjoyable time travel books)
The catastrophic consequences of time travel are now impossible to ignore. Lord Luxon has set his sights on the ultimate prize: America, while, abducted to 1763, Peter and Kate begin to understand that history has arrived at a tipping point. Transformed into an oracle, Kate is able to see the future as easily as the past. Gideon does all he can to help, but he is tormented by the knowledge that The Tar Man, his nemesis, is also his brother. As they pursue him through the dark streets of eighteenth-century London, and the time quakes begin, Peter realises that this monster may hold the fate of us all in his hands.


Marcus Sedgwick - Revolver - Orion books 16 July 2009 A gritty real life adventure.

1910. A cabin north of the Arctic Circle. Fifteen-year-old Sig Andersson is alone. Alone, except for the corpse of his father, who died earlier that day after falling through a weak spot on the ice-covered lake. His sister, Anna, and step-mother, Nadya, have gone to the local town for help. Then comes a knock at the door. It's a man, the flash of a revolver's butt at his hip, and a mean glare in his eyes. Sig has never seen him before but Wolff claims to have unfinished business with his father. As Sig gradually learns the awful truth about Wolff's connection to his father, Sig finds his thoughts drawn to a certain box hidden on a shelf in the storeroom, in which lies his father's prized possession - a revolver. When Anna returns alone, and Wolff begins to close in, Sigs choice is pulled into sharp focus. Should he use the gun, or not?

New Children's Books For July 2009 (paperbacks)

It's a busy old month for July. I have picked some of the best U.K Paperback books to be published over the summer month of July.
I will also follow up this post with the more interesting hardback releases. I will also cover some of the best ones to be released in the U.S.



Ali Sparkes - Dark Summer - Oxford Children's - 2 July

It's the summer holidays, and Eddie finds himself strangely drawn to the famous caves at Wookey Hole. He makes friends with the ticket seller there, and before long is allowed to roam wherever he wants. He loves it . . . until the day he gets lost. Just as panic sets in, his hand is taken by a strange girl, about his own age, who guides him to the surface. Gwerren is weird. She's extraordinarily pale with huge violet eyes and white hair - what's more, she won't come out of the caves. As she and Eddie become friends he starts to wonder if she's a ghost. Then Eddie nearly dies in a pothole - and discovers not only the truth, but life where nobody thought it could be . . . A thrilling new novel from the author of the popular 'Shapeshifter' series.

Toby Forward - Travelling Backwards - Anderson Press - 2 July

Franny is upset. Her grandfather is very ill and she realises that he will soon die. She begs her friend Mrs May to give her something to make him better. Mrs May gives her a potion with the warning that Grandfather must not drink too much. The effect is startling. Grandfather becomes much younger and more vigorous with each sip. Of course, he pays no heed to Mrs May's warning until the process of getting younger becomes a little too extreme! He and Fanny are faced with the dilemma: is this really how life should end?

Chris Bradford - The Way of the Sword (Young Samurai) - Puffin - 2 July (Recommended read for boys)

One year of training in samurai school and Jack is in real trouble . . . He’s busy preparing for the Circle of Three, an ancient ritual that tests courage, skill and spirit to the limit. And, at the same time, Jack is caught in a running battle with fellow student Kazuki and his gang. But these are the least of Jack’s problems. He knows his deadly rival – the ninja Dragon Eye – could strike at any moment. Jack possesses the very thing he will kill for. Can Jack master the Way of the Sword in time to survive a fight to the death?

Richelle Mead - Vampire Academy ( book one ) - Puffin - 2 July

St Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school - hidden away, it's a place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St Vladimir's where the girls must survive a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying night time rituals. But most of all, staying alive.

Paul Adam -Escape From Shadow Island (A Max Cassidy Adventure) Corgi Children's 2 July (See review for this book)

Max is an ordinary north London schoolboy by day, but at night he performs sell-out public shows as an escapologist - nicknamed The Half-Pint Houdini by the tabloid press. His father, Alexander, was also a world-renowned escapologist, who disappeared two years earlier in the Central American state of Santo Domingo. His body was never found, but Max's mother, Helen, was convicted of murdering her husband by a Santo Domingan court. One evening, after his show, Max receives a visit from a mysterious man from Santo Domingo - Lopez-Vega tells Max that his mother's trial was rigged and, if Max comes to his hotel room the following night, he has something to give him.When Max goes to the hotel, he finds Lopez-Vega dead, shot through the head. The room has clearly been searched by the killer, but what was he looking for? By chance, Max finds a piece of paper hidden under Lopez-Vega's wig. Written on the paper is a sequence of eight numbers - 83521113. What do the numbers mean? Are they a code, or maybe the combination for a lock or a safe? Could they be the key to unlocking the mystery of his father's disappearance and getting his mother out of prison?

L J Adlington - The Glittering Eye - Hodder Children's Books 2 July ( Great local author need to get a copy of this book)

Shabti wakes in a barley field with nothing but a hoe in his hand and a head full of fragmented memories. A vicious master torments his days, working in the fields with no way of escape, until a hole suspended in mid-air, leads him to a room. Two shiny gold eyes glitter back at him. Questions. Who is he? And to where does this room lead?

Amy arrives in Egypt to join her archaeologist father on an excavation. All around her tombs are unearthed, opened, entered. Left to her own devices, Amy discovers a rock. But not just any rock. A great tawny cat stares back at her from its smooth surface, its shiny gold eyes glittering. Questions. Where did it come from? And what should she do now?

When past, present and future collide, it's clear that some things are best left buried ...

Emma Kennedy - Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Frozen Hearts - Macmillan Children's Books - 3 Jul 2009

(One to look out for and a great book cover)

Somewhere between France and England there is an island that no one has ever bothered to discover. On it, lives Wilma Tenderfoot, a determined ten-year old girl who dreams of one day becoming a World-Famous Detective. So she can't help thinking it's destiny when, dispatched from the Institute for Woeful Children to her new home as a live-in skivvy, she discovers that the genius gentleman detective Theodore P. Goodman lives next door. A ten-year-old girl of great determination (and her pet beagle, Pickle) and a World-Famous Detective of great repute might not be the most obvious crime-solving duo - but Wilma Tenderfoot is not about to let that put either of them off! And it looks like their first dastardly case is about to begin ...Feisty but funny, cheeky but charming - Wilma Tenderfoot and her unique mystery-solving methodology is hard to resist!


Sophie Mckenzie - The Set Up (Medusa Project) - Simon & Schuster - 6 July (See review for this one)

Fourteen years ago, scientist William Fox implanted four babies with the Medusa gene - a gene for psychic abilities. But Fox died and the babies were hidden away for years. Now the children are teenagers - and unaware that their psychic powers are about to kick in. Cocky, charismatic Nico thinks his emerging telekinetic abilities will bring him money, power and the girl of his dreams. He's about to find out just how wrong he is...


Cassandra Clare - City of Glass (The Mortal Instrument) book three - Walker Books - 6 July ( already published in the U.S getting great reviews)

In search of a potion for her dying mother, Clary sneaks into the City of Glass and is immediately caught up in a life-and-death battle. As the children of the Moon (werewolves), Night (vampires), and Faerie gather for a war that will rend the heavens, Clary calls upon her untrained powers to control an angel who will save or destroy them all. Readers should be familiar with the first two installments in the Mortal Instruments series, but there is nevertheless plenty of romance, loss, honor, and betrayal to make the journey worthwhile. An experienced storyteller, Clare moves the plot quickly to a satisfying end.

Thanks very much for reading!

Matthew Skelton - The Story of Cirrus Flux - Book Review

Mr Ripley's Review

Matthew Skelton's first published novel was "Endymion Spring." This was a fab book and a hard act to follow.
But three years later, Matthew has just published his second book and the question is, has he produced something as great?
The book starts off in the Antarctic Circle, with one the main characters known as Seaman James Flux, on board the Destiny. The story then follows the adventures of a boy, Cirrus Flux, as he lives his life as an orphan in the Foundling Hospital. His life takes on many dangers, as he faces evil scoundrels trying to gain his divine power. The story swings back and forwards in strands of time, highlighting the on-going story; reeling you into the plot.
Matthew is articulate in his telling of an unusual tale. The many themes and time jumps keeps the reader on their toes. It could have been a dangerous ploy by Matthew but in fact he has created eloquently sequenced and joined time chapters.
I enjoyed reading this book, it was enthralling and more difficult to predict the ending. As the true course of the book wasn't properly established or finalised until later. Four out of five, very different to Endymion Spring but refreshingly good.
Suitable for 9+



Synopsis

‘You shall help me find him still . . . there is nowhere for the boy to hide.’ Orphan boy Cirrus Flux is being watched. Merciless rogues are conniving to steal the world’s most divine power, which they believe Cirrus has inherited. Now he faces a perilous journey through the dirty backstreets of London as a sinister mesmerist, a tiny man with an all-seeing eye, and a skull-collecting scoundrel pursue him. Cirrus must escape them. It really is not safe to give such evil people such incredible power . . .

Book published by Puffin Books 4 June 2009 (paperback)

Quick Fact About Matthew Skelton in 2002 he won the Richard and Judy's short story competition.

Please email me if you fancy doing the odd children's book review as we like to put up more!!

Sophie Mckenzie - The Medusa Project - The Set Up - Book Review

Mr Ripley's Review

This is a great book read which is heading for the bookshelves this summer.
I requested a copy of this book from the publisher as I was very eager to read this book. I'd heard secret whispers about The Medusa Project not knowing who wrote it or what it was. So when it landed in my book pile I had to read it straight away and I was not disappointed in any way.
Sophie is writing out of her skin to deliver this page turner. The great thing about the story is the character relationships the jealousy and the growing up and young adult emotions which adds a gripping reality to the plot. The story is about four teenagers who are all connected by being implanted with a Medusa gene which was injected into their pregnant mothers. The story then goes through a journey of adventure where they discover they have life changing abilities, which they try and come to terms with. I don't want to give much more away to this exciting story. But to sum up, this story is a crazy rampaging teen adventure involving doing what's right in the adversity of wrong-doing. It has great action moments, super goodies and evil doing baddies. This is the first part in a four book project with the second book to be released in January 2010 called Hostage. I'm looking forward to the next installment already. Five out of Five, I'm a new fan of Sophie Mckenzie - great stuff.


Synopsis For the book

Fourteen years ago, scientist William Fox implanted four babies with the Medusa gene - a gene for psychic abilities. But Fox died and the babies were hidden away for years. Now the children are teenagers - and unaware that their psychic powers are about to kick in. Cocky, charismatic Nico thinks his emerging telekinetic abilities will bring him money, power and the girl of his dreams. He's about to find out just how wrong he is..

Published by Simon & Schuster Children's 6 Jul 2009 Paperback

About Sophie McKenzie

Sophie McKenzie was born in London, where she still lives with her son. She has worked as a journalist and an editor and goes boxing training in her spare time. Her debut children's novel, Girl, Missing, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2006. Her second novel, Six Steps to a Girl, published in August 2007. Three's a Crowd is its sequel.

Other books to look out for are:

Girl Missing,Blood Times,Six steps to a Girl,There's A Crowd,The One And Only.

Gareth P Jones - The Thonthwaite Inheritance - Book Review

Mr Ripley's Book Review

This is the first book I have read by this author and I have to say I am glad that I did. It was only by chance that I picked it up to read, yet I found it somewhat refreshing. It's a very quirky book, written in the style of Lemony Snicket. It has a twisted dark theme but still with much humour. It is a "keeps-you-guessing" story which really did it for me.
The main characters of the book are the twins, Lorelli and Ovid. Their sibling rivalry and burning passion to kill each other motivate them. The book gives great accounts, of each different attempt to terminate the other. From killer bees to killer bears and various cases of food poisoning, making the plot for a crack-pot adventure.
The backdrop, of the creepy manor house and even stranger servants, are straight out of the Addams Family. The story builds its devilish ways, as the children find about their parent's strange deaths. Then along comes a crooked lawyer and a devious son adding to the ingredients of the story.
There are some great moments, many humorous, in a story that keeps the reader on their toes right to the very end. Four out of a Five, a great read with some interesting mysteries to be solved.


Book Synopsis

Ovid and Lorelli Thornthwaite have been trying to kill each other for so long that neither twin can remember which act of attempted murder came first. But whoever struck first, trying to take each other's lives is simply what they do. Until one day a lawyer arrives at their house to take stock of its contents, and his accompanying son attracts their attention. Soon a new battle evolves - one in which the twins have to work together to solve the mystery of their parents' deaths. Can Lorelli and Ovid overcome their old animosities, and will they ever get to finish that game of chess?

Published By Bloomsbury 6 July 2009

About the Author

Gareth P. Jones is the author of the Dragon Detective Agency series. Gareth's first novel, The Case of the Missing Cats, was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Book Prize. He lives in London.

Dragon Detective Agency

1. The Case of the Missing Cats (2007)
2. The Case of the Wayward Professor (2007)
3. Case of the Vanished Sea Dragon (2008)
4. The Case of the Stolen Film (2008)

Paul Adam - Escape From Shadow Island (A Max Cassidy Adventure) Book Review

Book Review by Mrs Ripley

I wasn't actually aware of this book until I received notification from Random House. The synopsis sounded promising and I was instantly intrigued by the escapology talents of the main character "Max Cassidy" - interestingly (as a side note) do most successful characters have to have short names in this modern day?
Anyway back to the book, it was full of description from the escapology acts, to the penetration of the island and then to the final escape. I particularly liked the way Max involved adult characters to help him overcome some of the more difficult tasks. I felt that this credited the story with some realism - at times "the child defeats adult world alone" can become too incredulous.
The story was fast paced, intriguing, highly descriptive and well co-ordinated. I liked his special regurgitating effect and the use that this trick played within the story. I was pleased he found the letter from his dad at the end, it helped to engage me in speculating the next adventure. I'm looking forward to this next chapter in his adventurous journey. Four out of Five - would recommend to 9+ and all adults.








Published by Corgi Children's books - 2 Jul 2009


Synopsis

Max is an ordinary north London schoolboy by day, but at night he performs sell-out public shows as an escapologist - nicknamed The Half-Pint Houdini by the tabloid press. His father, Alexander, was also a world-renowned escapologist, who disappeared two years earlier in the Central American state of Santo Domingo. His body was never found, but Max's mother, Helen, was convicted of murdering her husband by a Santo Domingan court. One evening, after his show, Max receives a visit from a mysterious man from Santo Domingo - Lopez-Vega tells Max that his mother's trial was rigged and, if Max comes to his hotel room the following night, he has something to give him.When Max goes to the hotel, he finds Lopez-Vega dead, shot through the head. The room has clearly been searched by the killer, but what was he looking for? By chance, Max finds a piece of paper hidden under Lopez-Vega's wig. Written on the paper is a sequence of eight numbers - 83521113. What do the numbers mean? Are they a code, or maybe the combination for a lock or a safe? Could they be the key to unlocking the mystery of his father's disappearance and getting his mother out of prison?

About the Author

Paul Adam studied law at Nottingham University and started his writing career as a journalist. He has written ten critically-acclaimed thrillers for a grown-up audience that have sold widely around the world and have been translated into several foreign languages. Reviews have called his adult books "brilliantly imagined, fiercely authentic and wholly gripping" . Escape from Shadow Island is Paul's first book for children. He lives with his wife and children in Sheffield.

Who Is Marcus Alexander? Author Interview from the writer of Who Is Charlie Keeper?

An amazing opportunity arose to ask the increasingly popular author Marcus Alexander a few questions. From the brief contact I have had with him it is clear that he is a man who likes to remain private. Not one for the public domain of "celebriatism" as many authors appear to throw themselves into the limelight.
I'd like to thank Marcus for his time and eloquence in allowing a small piece of insight into his thoughts and life. I hope you enjoy reading and learning about the man behind the great book.

1) Who is Marcus Alexander? Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Erm....actually a little shy when it comes to exposure so I tend to keep details to a vague minimum. A really vague minimum. I can tell you that I have big ears that stick out at right angles and a fondness for vertical snowy slopes.
Oh and I’m a caffeine junkie but don’t tell anyone that okay.

2) Do any of the characters represent parts of personality or personal traits?
Yes, there’s a little something of me in many of the characters, particularly the ones that tend to put their foot in their mouth on a regular basis. Or food for that matter too.



3) There are so many different styles of writing in your book. Are you inspired or influenced by any other author/s?
I’m more influenced by my years of travel, I find that’s my greatest inspiration for writing. Other writers don’t inspire me as such but if they’re good they sure tend to set my thumbs twitching for a good read and a quiet place to get stuck in to the pages.



4) You say there is a sequel, are you writing it at the moment? When do you see it being in the reader's hands?
There is a sequel on its way, ‘Charlie Keeper and the Darkness’ and if I can shunt some of this marketing and distribution onto someone else’s shoulders it should be coming out fairly soonish.

Hopefully after teatime.



5) How would you feel "releasing" your book to a publishing or film production company if they were to approach you?
Hmmm...I think a big smile, the sort that creases your face out of proportion would probably be involved. Maybe some somersaults too. I draw the line at singing and dancing though, a man needs to hold onto some semblance of dignity.



6) Did you have plans and ambitions to become a writer or did inspiration strike you?
I used to write a lot as a teenager, put it on hold for a while then took it back up after London lured me back from my travels. Didn’t take the idea of Who is Charlie Keeper? seriously for the first 18 months of writing, it was only after the semblance of a credible story began to unfold that I started to take confidence in the possibility of a literary product.



7) Do public book events fill you with dread or adrenaline? As most writers appear to either love or hate them!
iCouldn’t tell you as I haven’t done one yet. I think I could be lured into an event with the firm prospect of fresh filtered coffee, a French pastry and the promise of a fast line of retreat should the need arise.

Please also check the Author book site as there is more information on his great book
visit www.whoischarliekeeper.com