Friday Barnes: Last chance by R.A. Spratt

The eleventh book in this series takes us to Paris, where Friday Barnes is sent undercover by Interpol into an art school. According to a recently discovered letter the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa, is in fact a forgery.  She, and her crime solving partner, Melanie must unravel the truth about the alleged theft of this painting 100 years ago.  Assisting her is also her gorgeous boyfriend Ian, who has also joined the girls undercover and the closer they get to the truth the more unbelievable the story becomes. She uncovers more than just whether the painting is real or not, there is a digital pick-pocketing scheme and a guerrilla graffiti artist who is lurking in the background. Also, her Uncle Bernie could be facing international and professional embarrassment if she and her other Interpol sidekicks don’t unravel the truth.

The story goes at a good pace with enough twists and turns to keep Friday Barnes fans happy, as well as providing light, entertaining introduction to mystery and crime novels.  Considering Friday started the series at 11 years of age, her character has grown up and is facing the same challenges as most teenagers, especially relationships with friends and boyfriends. She is an honest character who openly admits to her flaws and imperfections, as well as her likes and dislikes, which makes her a great role-model for young teenagers reading these stories.

Themes: Mystery, Detectives, Art thefts, Criminal Investigation.

Gabrielle Anderson