Posts tagged ‘mystery’
Dead Mans Cove A Laura Marlin Mystery Lauren St John
The best detective books for children have to have lots of mysteries to solve plus a believable main character.
Laura is an orphan who is not particularly unhappy or badly treated she just really wants a more exciting life. She loves reading detective novels and in a way these are her escape from a pretty mundane life. Unexpectedly an uncle comes to claim her and off Laura goes to Cornwell. Well she wished for a more exciting life and you know what they say? Be careful what you wish for.
The house is mysterious and rather spooky, her uncle though very nice is also very mysterious and secretive. Add to this the forbidden place of Dead Mans Cove, the silent Indian boy, a message in a bottle and a three-legged dog and we have a very mysterious book indeed with lots to keep us guessing.
Laura is a wonderful gutsy girl,her favourite word is why? Can’t wait for the next mystery.
Lauren St John has written other really good books set in Africa, The White Giraffe and The Dolphin Song to name a few.
Lisa McMann’s Cryer’s Cross
Having read Wake, the first in a trilogy by Lisa McMann, I was excited by the prospect of her next novel after the trilogy, a stand-alone entitled Cryer’s Cross. Kendall Fletcher is the only girl in senior year at her school in a tiny farming community in Montana. When her best friend, Nico, is the second of two students in the town to disappear into thin air, Kendall’s world falls apart. She loses her one confidante; the person she grew up with and shared her ambitions with, her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder becomes harder to manage and her school soccer team simply doesn’t have enough members to play so she loses her greatest outlet for stress relief. The disappearances are timed with the arrival of Jacian and his sister Marlena and rumours abound as to how much of a coincidence the two events are. The repellent and moody Jacian’s volatility puts Kendall on edge, but his grandfather, a close family friend of the Fletcher’s, slowly brings the reluctant two together.
McMann’s mix of teen drama and supernatural is a surprisingly effective mix – she walks the right side of the fine line between intrigue and the ridiculous and, while I had an ‘oh no’ moment of dread halfway through the book that the ending might be a let down, the tale held its own. While it may not be quite creepy enough for some readers, Cryer’s Cross, essentially a ghost story, is sustained by its great characters through to a satisfying conclusion.
The book raises some interesting themes (without a heavy hand) about the ups and downs of living in a small community, coping with a psychological disorder and overcoming loss. Kendall is a fabulous girl – a balance of flaws and admirable qualities. McMann’s ability to build a story around a strong female character continues to be her strongest asset.
Jess
A Pocketful of Eyes by Lili Wilkinson
Mystery: A pocketful of what? Eyes?
Thriller: A murder in the museum
Detective: Two work experience students
try to work it out.
Romance: Those two work experience
students again. Very handsome
boy, very pretty smart girl.
Humour: Koala skins and pulleys.
You have to read it!
Trivia about unusual animal mating: Snails etc
You really will have to read the book,
You will learn heaps.
What else? Lots of twists, a kissing scene on a stuffed tiger..
Described as a rom-crime novel. Laugh out loud and brilliant.
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
A brilliant mix of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mysterious Benedict Society and Junior Masterchef! At the Life Is Sweet factory, four 12-year-olds gather to create the tastiest, most inventive and entertaining sweet for the annual Confectionery Association Conference. Logan, the thoughtful Candymaker’s son; Miles, the quiet boy with a plethora of strange allergies; Daisey, incredibly inquisitive and suspiciously strong for a girl her age or Philip, the unfriendly, imperious boy in the three-piece suit? The book is divided into 4 parts with each child getting the opportunity to tell their side of the story. Secrets are kept and conspiracies revealed, making for a thoroughly enjoyable, engrossing and utterly unputdownable read. This is a gripping mystery dipped in sweet candy-making details including conveyor belts, chocolate jungles, and beehives! Delicious!
Y.S.Lee’s THE BODY AT THE TOWER Book Two in The Agency series
Book one of the Agency series is Called a Spy in the House. You don’t have to read them in order but you will want to read both. The agency is an all female detective academy set in the grimy underbelly of Victorian London. They are full of suspense, exciting and a great way to get a glimpse of a moment in history. Totally untrue of course as the choices for young women did not include becoming detectives! For the romantics there is the added interest of James who is showing a lot of interest in our heroine Mary Quinn.
Chris
Jon Page
