I was quickly enthralled by this exciting story of Maude Mulligan. She and her father are barely surviving in 1913 London. They live in a squalid flat which is sinking into the Thames bog. Her father is killed in an accident at his work on the docks and things become even more grim for Maude. Maude picks up a yellow ribbon that falls from the hair of a wealthy girl called Eleanor and Maude’s life changes. It becomes a mystery as to why Eleanor’s mother and the villainous manager of their failing family business are so keen to capture Maude. The villains pursue her and are nearly successful in catching her on several occasions but luckily Maude escapes. She is cared for and helped by some young politically active suffragists. To Maude’s surprise Eleanor gets involved in trying to uncover the mystery and the two girls travel to Manchester. Enriching the plot is the way Maude keeps experiencing unsettling, strange visions. It transpires that she is a seer and can foretell the future. A skill that is both a curse and a blessing.
Catherine Norton successfully creates a grimy, grotty London prior to World War 1. The suffragettes, precarious unsafe working conditions and poverty add authenticity to this historical fiction. Through Eleanor’s point of view the reader understands the frustration of a girl whose interest in science and learning is considered ridiculous. And from Maude’s point of view, we also learn about Maude’s precarious existence and poor conditions for the working class. There is considerable foreboding about World War I in her visions. I was intrigued by the popular phenomena of the time where people of all backgrounds believed in fortune telling. Fortunately, the story has lighter moments and Maude is a strong heroic character unflinching in her risk taking and positive, despite her many years of hardship. It finishes with an ending suitable for a sequel. I was reminded of a past CBCA Book of the Year winner by Catherine Jinks called A Very Unusual Pursuit which was also a successful blend of historical fiction and fantasy.
Text Publishing, 2023. ISBN: 9781922790125. (Age:Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended.
I am a fan of both Jinks’ adult thrillers (Shelter, The attack, and her children’s stories (A very unusual pursuit,The reformed vampire support group), and am always keen to pick up another book written by her. Traced is set in the time of COVID, with Jane MacDonald working as a contact tracer who knows that there are people who don’t want to be contacted, because of varying reasons, one of them being domestic abuse. When Jane realises that one of the contacts is the man, Griffin Clynch, that she and her daughter Tara have been hiding from for years, things begin to become very difficult for her. She knows that she must warn Clynch’s partner to leave him but is also appalled when she realises that he lives very close to her. She must protect her daughter and herself.
Jinks takes the reader back and forwards from 2014 to 2020, relating the events that have led Jane and her daughter to change their names, occupations and location. The author is an expert a describing domestic abuse and coercive control, describing the stages that Clynch goes through with Tara, Jane’s daughter. He is initially charming, but gradually he manages to isolate his victim from friends and family, getting her to change jobs, lose confidence and eventually live in fear for her life. The feelings of the helplessness of Tara and his latest victim, Nicole, are described vividly, and it is easy to see how they could become ensnared by him, too afraid to ask for help. However, Jane is a strong person who battles to save her daughter and Jinks brings to life the feelings of a mother pushed to her limits.
The build up of suspense kept me reading to finish the book in a couple of sittings, as I feared that the abuser would find Jane and Tara and dreadful things would happen. And the terrifying climax could well keep readers up at night!
People who enjoy novels by Jane Harper may like to add Jinks’ repertoire of psychological thrillers to their reading list.
Although The murder rule does not follow the career of Detective Cormac Reilly from her previous three novels, The ruin, The scholar and The good turn, fans of McTiernan's books will not be disappointed in this psychological thriller. Hannah Rokeby cons her way into the Innocence Project wanting to be on the case of Michael Dandridge, who had been convicted of rape and murder. He has declared that he is innocent, and members of the Innocence Project are trying to help overturn his case. But why is Hannah obsessed with this case and just what is she trying to do to Michael, prove his innocence or his guilt?
Told in alternative chapters, the story is told from Hannah’s point of view with extracts from her mother’s diary written when she was a young woman. Laura’s diary fills in the background to Hannah’s obsession with this case. Her mother is an alcoholic, and it is easy to sympathise with her and Hannah’s actions as more of the diary’s contents are revealed.
Hannah is a fascinating character. Her intelligence and ability to read people shines through, even as the reader is shocked at the way she is prepared to manipulate people to be able to work on Michael Dandridge’s case. When cracks start to appear in the evidence Hannah is left trying to puzzle out what is going on.
This started out slowly as the reader learns about the Innocence Project, the people who work there and the processes that the investigators go through to find the truth. As the story progresses the tension really builds up with unexpected twists and turns, new characters introduced and doubts about what is happening. The last section is thrilling and breath-taking and I could not put it down.
I picked this up because I had really enjoyed McTiernan’s previous books and believe that it would be enjoyed by fans of psychological mysteries like Wych elm by Tana French, Turn of the key by Ruth Ware and The Attack by Catherine Jinks.
Themes Murder, Psychological thriller.
Pat Pledger
The attack by Catherine Jinks
Text Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781922458117. (Age:Adult - Senior Secondary) Recommended.
Jinks has written a taut thriller with a plot unlike any I have read before. Written in two time-lines, 2009 and 2019, the author takes the reader on a suspenseful trip into the past and the present as Robyn Ayres, a caretaker on Finch Island, recognises a boy from her former life as a teacher. A group of vets run a tough-love program for disturbed teens at the camp and a boy named Darren catches her eye. She spots him as the child, named Aaron, who was at the centre of a vicious custody case when she was his teacher. Things did not go well for her at the school, mainly because of Aaron’s vindictive grandmother, and Robyn is left wondering why his name has been changed and what will the consequences be for her if he recognises her.
Jinks builds up the tension as the narrative switches from 2009 to 2019. In the 2009 classroom the child throws tantrums and is uncontrollable. Robyn finds herself caught between Aaron’s inept mother and his terrifying grandmother. I found myself holding my breath wondering what was going to happen to both Robyn and Aaron. Meanwhile on Finch Island, which was once a leper colony, Robyn faces nasty pranks and the danger surrounding her builds to a crescendo at the final assembly. Is it the boy now called Darren who is threatening her and will she get safely out of the mess that seems to be her life?
There will be triggers for teachers reading this – difficult children in both the classroom and on camp – but it is a story that can’t be put down. An interesting article about cross-genre writing by Jinks can be found here. Readers who were gripped by The attack may want to read her other recent books for older readers, Shepherd and Shelter.
Meg, fleeing from an abusive husband, now lives alone in the bush. When approached to shelter Nerine and her children, she agrees although she is breaking the law as her home is a perfect place to hide, isolated and lonely. But Nerine wants her to get a gun and her children are terrified. Then frightening things begin to happen. Has her abusive husband tracked her down, or is Nerine’s violent husband prowling around?
Jinks’ use of ordinary occurrences to build suspense is frightening. The sound of wind chimes when there is no wind, a flyscreen found on the ground, a footprint in a garden bed, are all things to which the reader can relate. The tension is ramped up gradually with Nerine’s insistence on needing a gun to protect herself and the children’s willingness to hide in a safe place. Meg’s recounting of the way that Keith, her husband, psychologically abused her and her daughter also adds to the reader’s trepidation about who is lurking around the house.
This dark and gritty psychological thriller kept me glued to my seat as I followed Meg’s dilemmas and desire to protect the children. Many chapters ended on a cliff hanger, ensuring the book was read in a couple of sittings. Unexpected twists and turns surprised and an ending that left me gasping made for an unforgettable read, while the setting will appeal to those who enjoy rural noir novels, like The lost man by Jane Harper.
I will certainly be recommending this thriller to my Book Club. Book Club notes are available from the publisher.
Themes Domestic violence, Psycholgical thriller.
Pat Pledger
Shepherd by Catherine Jinks
Text, 2019. ISBN: 9781925773835.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Catherine Jinks has won many awards for her
writing for Young Adults, including being four times the winner of
the Australian Children's Book Council Book of the Year. This latest
novel, Shepherd, is set in early New South Wales at the time
of convict transportation. The main character and first person
narrator is Tom Clay, the only survivor of a notorious poaching
family, who has been transported for his crime. The reader is first
introduced to Tom on a remote and small sheep property where he
guards the sheep by day and sleeps at night in a small hut with
another transportee. Tom is quickly established as a patient and
careful shepherd despite his past history of poaching. The sheep are
named and accounted for at the end of each day and Tom has special
rapport with the sheep dogs. Tom is interested in his surroundings,
the plants and the animals, and learns the topography of the area
quickly despite its alien, to him, qualities. He regrets not having
the kind of deep understanding of the natural world that he had in
his home county. The action begins quickly with the arrival of a new
shepherd, Rowdy, and the reappearance of a brutal convict escapee
who has earlier attempted to kill Tom before disappearing, presumed
dead. Carver, however, is far from dead and is determined to destroy
the shepherds and the farm itself. The action is like that of a
nightmare in which whatever Tom and his co-workers do to protect
themselves and however badly Carver is injured he always reappears
vengeful and sadistic. It becomes clear that Tom is the only one
alive on the farm apart from Carver, but still Carver pursues him,
forcing Tom to eventually make a brutal choice.
The descriptions of life on the farm and the desperate struggle
against Carver are interspersed with Tom's memories of his
upbringing in England. After his mother's early death he is loved
only by his dogs. His father is a hard, violent man who is
eventually hanged for murder, and Tom, a desperate twelve year old,
survives by living off the land. He is caught, sentenced and
transported, but seems to regret leaving only the land that he
understood so well. He lives by several precepts; silence is
preferable to speech (Rowdy doesn't agree) and that animals' loyalty
must be respected. The reader is prepared for the final scene in
which a young indigenous boy saves Tom, by the frequent mentions of
the 'blacks' whose fires can be seen in the distance, by Tom's
realisation that Carver is responsible for the acts of savagery that
they have been blamed for and by his expressed longing to understand
this new natural world.
The action is frequently brutal, dramatic and fast-paced. The
descriptions of life on the farm are detailed and precise. A strong
picture is established of the hut, the farmhouse, the cookhouse and
the home paddock, all places where Tom and Rowdy must try to escape
from Carver, and of the weapons that are available (muskets,
pistols, carbines and their idiosyncrasies). The thorough research
is reflected in the authenticity of the descriptions of place and
characters. The language is simple, engaging and vivid.
The novel is recommended for readers older than thirteen and is
perhaps one that boys may enjoy.
Jenny Hamilton
Barney by Catherine Jinks
Ill. Stephen Michael King, Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742996226
(Ages: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Dogs. Family. Humour. Verse.
Cheeky Barney loves everything about the house. He loves the cat
food, the greens secretly pushed down to him under the table, bacon,
beans, biscuits, cake, candle and just about anything that can be
found in the kitchen. He loves bibs, especially the one around the
bay's neck, covered in squashed banana. He loves rice and peas
spread across the floor. He even loves chilli, although it makes him
sneeze.
A delightful rhyming story of Barney and his special place in the
family is revealed in this wonderful read aloud, encouraging
children to predict what word will rhyme with the end of the
previous line, while laughing at Barney's tastes. And the last
rhyme, begging a word that sounds like 'tea' will have all readers
and listeners sigh happily with the knowledge that every child is
the centre of a dog's attention within the family.
Family life is comfortingly displayed throughout the marvellous
illustrations by King. Family life from a dog's perspective consists
of legs of adults, children, things on the floor and under the
table. Barney spots food whenever it falls within his range, and
quickly scavenges it into his mouth. King shows an array of things
that families and particularly the children do, from walking the
dog, cycling, finding your way out of a maze, a family bbq, cooking,
watching TV and playing in the garden. The whole wonderfully
reiterates family life, underlining the things a family does
together, supporting the theme of families for the readers.
Each page is full of household mayhem that a dog creates, filling
each page with details to look at and talk about, things that will
promote recollections of pets in their own homes and how they
affected the family.
This is a wonderfully warm and loving story of family life, sure to
intrigue all readers, especially those with a dog.
Fran Knight
Theophilus Grey and the traitor's mask by Catherine Jinks
Theophilius Grey series. Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760113612
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. London, Eighteenth Century, George
11, Espionage. We first met Theophilus Grey in Theophilus Grey
and the demon thief, a book set in eighteenth century London
at the time of King George the Second. Philo worked as a linkboy and
along with a group of other homeless orphans, used their skills to
gather information for their master, the Fagan like Garnet Hooke. In
this companion novel, Philo and his crew are paid by the government
to gather intelligence about the Jacobites. Nathaniel Paxton his old
friend also involved in the spying business introduces him to
Caroline Cowley, an actress who takes him under her wing to teach
him the art of disguise and how to play someone convincingly, in
order to gain access to the ringleaders of the Jacobites in London.
Some of the subplots are finely detailed, giving the reader an in
depth look at what London was like for people of the lower orders in
the reign of George the Second. Jinks' research gives insight
especially into the plight of children who had to fend for
themselves in these times.
Into Philo's range comes his old and now ill mentor, Garnet Hooke,
who wants to wreak revenge on Philo for leaving him. But he must
also deal with the rival gang of linkboys whose loyalties lie
elsewhere.
As with Theophilus Grey
and the demon thief, the pace of the story is fast with many
subplots taking the reader along with them as Philo must work out
just who he can trust as his work takes him perilously close to
those accused of treason.
Fran Knight
Theophilus Grey and the demon thief by Catherine Jinks
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760113605
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Humour, Historical novel, London,
1750, Street children. Theophilus (Philo to his friends) works for
the lawyer's clerk, Garnet Hooke, a man who stays all day in bed,
sending out his gang of linkboys to not only take people home in the
dark of the night, but also gather information which he then sells.
Philo hears from one of the less desirable acquaintances that there
is something not quite right, a feeling of someone behind him, of a
fearful smell. Philo talks to his master about it, but his fears
about a demon are dismissed, although Philis is dismayed when later
he finds that Garnet has been giving herbal remedies to others who
are worried.
A London of two and a half centuries ago is brought incredibly alive
in Jinks' writing as we see the children who work the streets,
lighting the way for people going home, pickpockets, potboys and
footpads, all squeezing out what little money they can get to
survive. We see the women coming into London escaping their
husbands, going to the parish church for help, girls selling small
bunches of herbs on the street, the workhouses that some of Philo's
crew have lived in, all uncomfortably real, redolent of the
eighteenth century, of the London of a century before Jinks'
previous series, City of Orphans.
This is the first in a series of two novels following Philo as he
tries to unearth the demon that people think is striking people
down. Helped by his new friend, the physician, Mr Paxton, he treads
a wary path through the machinations of his ill employer and those
who want him out of the way. His investigations take him to Rat's
Castle, the dwelling of the worst of men in the byways of London's
West End, and here he finds the flower seller, Samantha in a
particular predicament.
The background of this wonderful story is so well detailed that any
reader will be able to smell the filth and grime in which people
live, and wonder at the changes that have befallen our lives in two
hundred years and be grateful for it.
Philo is a most likable character, illiterate but street wise, canny
in keeping himself and his crew safe, waiting for an opportunity to
make a small amount of money and wary of those around him who would
do him and his friends harm.
Fran Knight
Jackaby by William Ritter <br>
Algonquin, 2014. ISBN 9781616203535
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Mystery. Paranormal. Historical.
YALSA 2015 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults. Abigail Rook
arrives in New Fiddleham, New England in 1892; and answers a strange
help-wanted ad that warns 'Do not stare at the frog.' She begins to
work as assistant to R.F. Jackaby, who has the ability 'to see truth
where others see the illusion - and there are many illusions.' He
investigates the unexplained and the unusual and Abigail finds
herself in the middle of chasing down a serial killer. The police
don't believe Jackaby when he is convinced that a non-human is the
murderer and it is up to the pair with the help of a handsome young
detective named Charlie Cane to find out what is going on.
This book has lots going for it. Written in the first person by
Abigail the prose is descriptive, intelligent and often brimming
with humour and wit, which makes it a delight to read. The setting
of the late 1800's is fascinating and Ritter seamlessly takes the
reader on a journey through the streets, police stations and old
homes of the time.
All the characters are complex and multi-layered. Abigail is clever
and determined to have the grand adventure that has been denied to
her by her parents back in England. Her open minded approach to the
strange occupants (including a ghost) of Jackaby's house and her
observant nature of the commonplace make her an ideal companion for
the strange but charismatic Jackaby. The investigations of the chief
police detective Marlowe and the obnoxious Commission Swift, as well
as Charlie Cane, are a perfect foil for the way that Jackaby hunts
down clues.
The humour in this mystery makes it a worthwhile read, while those
who loved the City of Orphans series by Catherine Jinks and
Lockwood & Co. books by Jonathan Stroud, as well as the Sherlock
Holmes TV series, will be in for a real treat.
Pat Pledger
Saving Thanehaven by Catherine Jinks
Allen and Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743317747.
(Age: Early secondary) Well recommended. This is a creatively
constructed, modern tale appealing to young readers who are familiar
with the workings of a computer but whose main characters belong to
a medieval world. Noble is the main character in a computer
game. He lives in a fantasy computer programme from long ago, where
swords smote characters. He sets out to save the Princes Lorellina
and meets Rufus, who belongs to the modern computer time and who
says, 'I'm not asking you to surrender. I'm asking you to think.'
p5. This is the essence of the book. The author challenges the
reader to question the computer games, the way they unfold and where
the power lies. Noble says,' It doesn't have to be tyranny or
anarchy. You can follow rules and still think for yourself'
p278. Noble has come a long way from his beginnings!
It's a very cleverly contrived novel, attempting to challenge young
readers about their game choices.
Catherine Jinks writes persuasively, using humour which the reader
understands, while developing strong characters. The cover imparts a
mysterious feeling suggesting a quest.
The Cover Story in The Weekend Australian dated September
13-14 by Rosemary Neill, while ostensibly discussing teen
films refers to these films as 'going dystopic'. They are
'high-concept tales set in quasi-totalitarian societies and
featuring teenagers fighting each other to the death'. This book
belongs to this genre. John Marsden's Tomorrow series began this
trend. David Kelly, (in this article) says 'dystopias reflect
'our anxieties of where we are heading and what's to come - a grim
prospect these days, with our customary apprehensions ratcheted up
by the 24-hour news cycle and the public appetite for stories of
political, social or personal (often celebrity) crisis'. This
article is relevant, topical and well worth reading.
Sue Nosworthy
A very singular guild by Catherine Jinks
City of Orphans series, bk 3. Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN
978
(Ages: 9+) Highly recommended. Fantasy, London (1870's),
Sewers. Ned and Jem, the two apprentices of bogle hunter,
Alfred Bunce, once more ply their trade beneath London, where sewers
and underground waterways form the perfect hiding place for the
bogles, ready to appear at any time to take, kill and eat children.
In this the third in the series, Alfred Bunce is casually employed
by the Board of Works to eliminate the bogles of underground London.
At a meeting bound by agendas and motions and committees, Ned is
surprised to see Miss Eames and Birdie MacCallum participate. Birdie
had been Alfred Bunce's assistant for many years but is now in the
care of Miss Eames, receiving an education along with voice lessons,
but missing her association with Mr Bunce. Going to the theatre in
Drury Lane sees the group enticing a bogle out of the sewers to be
killed, but this one is unlike the others, so a sinister plot
unfolds.
The background of Jinks' story is enthralling. London at the time
was undergoing major rebuilding, with work being done on
infrastructure such as transport, water and bridges. Ned's
passionate interest in all things mechanical shows him asking
questions of those people he sees using a new wrench, or a hydraulic
lift, or pneumatic tyres. He observes all around him, and his
character is so well delineated that we learn with him, without
being aware of it.
The characters Jinks has created in this series, as in all of her
books, are rounded and interesting, full of layers reflecting their
histories and passions, their foibles and fears. The three children,
Ned, Birdie and Jem are all undergoing changes in their lives, and
when Birdie and Jem begin a career upon the stage, Ned is left with
Mr Bunce, performing a duty which frightens him.
Accompanying Mr Bunce to Derbyshire sees the man visit the sister of
his old employer and get the recipe for his spear, ready to make
some more to kill the increasing number of bogles. But things do not
work out as he hopes and more entanglement occurs in which the
dreaded John Gammon reappears ready to strike. The thrilling
conclusion lies at the heart of London in the Monument, built by Sir
Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London.
Fran Knight
A very singular guild by Catherine Jinks
City of orphans, bk 3. Allen and Unwin, 2014. ISBN
9781743313091.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Ned Roach is now Alfred's chief
apprentice, luring out child eating bogles with his use of verse, so
that Alfred can kill them. Before working with Alfred he was a
mudlark, scavenging for a living in the mud along the Thames. Now he
is employed alongside of Alfred who has been paid by the London
Sewers Office to rid London of an infestation of bogles. As well as
facing the evil bogles, Ned and his friends, Jem and Birdie, face
deadly danger from an enemy from their past.
In this the final story in the City of Orphans trilogy,
following A very unusual pursuit and A very peculiar
plague, Jinks relates the tale of Ned, who is a very likeable
hero. He is intensely interested in machines and is fascinated by
the steam engines and new machinery that he encounters in his
travels with the employees of the London Sewers Offices and would
love to work with them. However, he is very loyal to Alfred who has
taken him away from the insecurity of scrabbling for a living in the
mudflats, and believes that he must help him to entice the bogles
out even though he is really afraid of them. His loyalty and
steadfastness even when terrified as well as his powerful curiosity
about machines make the story very enjoyable.
The setting of Dickens' London and the beginning of the machine age
are all cleverly mixed with the superstitions of a people who
believe in strange creatures who capture children. Jinks subtly
draws the reader into the life of poor orphans in the 19th century
and will leave them empathizing with the drawbacks of not being able
to read and having to earn a living at a very early age. The
descriptions of London's underground tunnels and sewer systems, the
wickedness of some of the slum dwellers, the contrast with the
wealthy and the frivolity of the actors in the theatres of Drury
Lane bring a wonderful feel to the story.
Beautifully written, Jinks manages to tie up the fates of her
characters in a very satisfying and atmospheric conclusion to an
outstanding series which should grace every library shelf and would
be a great read aloud in the classroom as well.
Pat Pledger
A very peculiar plague by Catherine Jinks
Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN 978 1 74331 305 3
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Historical fiction. Fantasy.
Adventure. The sights, sounds and smells of nineteenth century
London rise up to meet the reader in this exceptional tale of Jem
and Bridie, assistants to Alfred Bunce, a bogler, in his attempts to
rid the area around Holborn Viaduct from a plague of wraths which
rise up from the sewers beneath the streets and eat children. Amidst
the noise of the building of this famous bridge, and the demolition
of older buildings in the area, the building of the underground
railway and the story of the sewers, Jinks cast her spell, drawing
in all of her readers to revel in the squalor of the meat markets,
the proximity of Newgate Prison, the link to the church where
condemned criminals hear their last sounds from a priest, to the
Viaduct Tavern where Bunce and his entourage wind down after killing
a bogle.
Reading the first in this fine series,A very unusual pursuit,
the opening of the City of Orphans series, I had no
hesitation in believing the existence of bogles beneath London's
streets. Now with a plague of bogles plying their grisly trade, Mr
Bunce, who retired at the end of book one, must gather his
apprentices to save the lives of children in the east end.
The description of the bogles emanating from the sewers is
wonderful, and will readily entice readers to see what happens to
the main characters as the detailed and lively story unfolds. This
is fantasy at its best, a wonderfully engrossing story, sparkling
characters, set against an identifiable and incredibly well
described setting, with a wisp of fantastical creatures that erupt
in the background. What a read.
Fran Knight
A very peculiar plague by Catherine Jinks
City of Orphans, bk 2. Allen & Unwin, 2013. ISBN
9781743313053.
(Age: 10-15) Highly recommended. The second in the City of
Orphans series has young Jem Barbary joining up with Alfred
the bogler when a spate of bogle attacks finally brings Alfred out
of his semi-retirement. Jem once worked as a pick pocket for the
evil Sarah Pickles who betrayed him and he is determined to get
revenge on her. He is also keen to show his mettle as a bogler's boy
but finds that facing a group of bogles is almost as terrifying as
facing the evil people from his past.
Once again Jinks has excelled herself in this beautifully
atmospheric novel that brings the times of Charles Dickens alive.
Full of descriptions of the slums where the poor try to eke out a
living, and the affluent world that Birdie, the heroine from the
first in the series, now inhabits, the reader is steeped in the life
of 19th century London. The building occurring around Newgate Prison
is the background for the gathering of bogles in cellars and sewers
and it is there that Alfred and Jem face the nightmare of trying to
kill them. A glossary at the back of the book gives an explanation
of many of the words used that are ones that are true to the times.
So realistic is the writing that it is easy to believe that bogles
do exist.
Birdie takes a less important role in A very peculiar plague,
than she did in A very unusual pursuit, but readers who were
wondering what was going on in her life will be satisfied to read
that she is still as feisty and as loyal as ever. Jem is a very
determined, stubborn boy and it is easy to empathise with him as he
tries to be heroic and to find and stop the evil Sarah Pickles, who
has destroyed so many lives.
Catherine Jinks' writing is always a joy to read and this story is
rich in detail and characterisation. There is a sneak preview of A
very singular child, the next in the series, at the end of the
book. It stars Ned, another young boy who works with Alfred. Jinks'
use of fascinating but different main protagonists in each book
ensures that readers will continue to enjoy the series, but will be
able to easily pick up each book in the series.
This is an outstanding series that is sure to win accolades and will
fascinate the reader who likes historical fantasy, action and
adventure.
Pat Pledger
