Tag Archives: mystery

Wolf Children by Paul Dowswell – Book of the Week

This week’s Book of the Week is a historical novel by Paul Dowswell, set just after the end of World War II.

1945. Berlin has fallen.

Hitler’s Third Reich has finally surrendered, leaving Germany’s capital in ruins. Sixteen-year-old Otto is living on the edge of survival with his brother and friends in a desperate, bombed-out city.

The war may be over, but danger lurks in the shadows of the wreckage. Caught between invading armies, ruthless gangs and the constant threat of starvation, Otto and his friends must learn to stay alive.

But the Nazi regime left psychological wounds that are slow to heal: rifts arise in their little group and terrible secrets surface when a sinister figure emerges from the darkness…

Other exciting books by Paul Dowswell in this library include Eleven Eleven, Wave and The Cabinet of Curiosities. Look for them in Junior Fiction.

Moth Girls by Anne Cassidy – Book of the Week

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This week’s Book of the Week is an exciting thriller from Anne Cassidy, about two twelve-year-old girls who go missing…

Helplessly drawn like moths to the flame.

Five years have passed since two young girls, Petra Armstrong and Tina Pointer, went missing. As the anniversary draws nearer, Mandy is haunted by the night her two best friends disappeared – what started off as a dare ended with them vanishing without a trace. As Mandy’s memories are ignited once again, disturbing details resurface in her mind and she realises she must seek out the truth.

Read a series – The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle by Catherine Webb

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Looking for something a little bit Historical with a pinch of Steampunk, some detecting and a lot of daring adventure? Try the Horatio Lyle books by Catherine Webb, a series of books with real explosive force!

The Bank of England robbed! Murder on the streets of London! Hypnotism! Mystery! Pursuit! Saint Paul’s Cathedral ablaze!

Horatio Lyle is a former Special Constable with a passion for science and invention. He’s also an occasional sleuth. Thrown together with Tess (a reformed pickpocket) and Thomas (a rebellious young gentleman), Lyle and his faithful hound Tate find themselves pursuing an ancient Chinese plate, a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of polite society and a dangerous enemy who may not even be human…

The Horatio Lyle books can be found in the junior fiction section of the library. Ask one of the Library Team if you need help to find them.

The Adventures of John Blake by Philip Pullman and Fred Fordham – Book of the Week

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Far out at sea, and hidden by the fog of time, sails the Mary Alice and her crew – searching for a way home.

But the mysterious ship is being hunted by a villain who will go to ANY lengths to track her down…

When a storm hits a small family yacht throwing a young girl overboard, John Blake dives in to save her and brings her aboard the so-called ghost ship. But trying to return her to her own time means going back to the one place where they run the greatest risk of being completely annihilated.

Cogheart by Peter Bunzl, reviewed by misssallylockhart

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“Cogheart” by Peter Bunzl is definitely a good read and especially stands out to me for one reason; the Victorian time setting, one of my favourite settings in books. The story is about Lily and the mysterious disappearance of her father, John. A misfit at her boarding school with a love for penny dreadfuls, Lily never liked her school life, with the headmistress and the Kracken always on her back. However everything changes when she is informed that her father’s airship has crashed and is presumed dead, and is pulled out of school to go back home. At this time, we learn that Malkin, Lily’s mechanimal fox is still alive after John, Lily’s father, sent him to find Lily but is shot. Thankfully, he is found by Robert, the clockmaker’s son, and is fixed. Now with silver-eyed men stalking her every move, Lily is plunged into a menacing world with Robert and Malkin but Lily soon realises that those she holds close may end up being the ones to break her heart in more ways than one.

New Books in the Library – Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke

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New in the library is this gorgeously covered and eerily atmospheric story about the interlinked lives of three young adults and the terrible secret they share.

Every story needs a hero.

Every story needs a villain.

Every story needs a secret.

Wink, Poppy, Midnight.

Two girls, one boy, one summer, one bad thing. What really happened?

Someone knows.

Someone is lying.

The Last Soldier by Keith Gray – review

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The Last Soldier by Keith Gray, a book recently read by the school’s book club, was voted the least favourite book. I liked it but it wasn’t the best. If it wasn’t as vague as it was, then I would’ve enjoyed it more. But you need to read it yourself to get your own opinion on the book.

The story follows two brothers, Wade and Joe, and their adventures with the travelling fair. Wade, the youngest brother, is drawn to the newest exhibit in the attractions: The Last Soldier. With it’s dead expression, the Last Soldier has a gruesome twist, impacting on the brothers’ lives.

“Black Cairn Point” by Claire McFall

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“Black Cairn Point” by Claire McFall, a book I read recently in the school’s book club, is an amazing read and I highly recommend it.

The story follows a young girl, named Heather, and her journey to prove to everyone that she isn’t crazy. After getting invited by Dougie, a boy she likes, and his friends on a group camping trip, she plans to get close to him. However after the two accidentally disturb a pagan burial site on the nearby beach the group, one by one, disappear and the two are left to fend for themselves against a dark entity.
Now, a year on from the incident, Dougie lies in a coma and Heather got away unscathed. Only Dougie can proved that Heather isn’t insane but will he wake up?

New books in the library – The Double Life of Cassiel Roadnight by Jenny Valentine

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New in the library this week is a twisty little mystery by Jenny Valentine…

The blurb says:

I didn’t choose to be him. I didn’t pick Cassiel Roadnight out of a line-up of possible people who looked just like me. I just let it happen. I just wanted it to be true. That’s all I did wrong, at the beginning.

A fugitive teenager takes on the identity of another missing boy. But everyone has their secrets. Who will get to the truth first?

Book details taken from HarperCollins Publishers website.

Book of the Week – These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

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You wait a while for Jennifer Donnelly’s books, but it is always worth the wait. These Shallow Graves is no exception: historically accurate and detailed, with main characters who leap off the page and a story that draws you into the world of New York in the 1890s, this is a really good read.

The blurb says…

Josephine Montford is one of the city’s most eligible heiresses, and as such, she understands the importance of doing what is expected. She knows that a suitable marriage and comfortable life is what she should dream of – but her heart can’t help yearning for more.

But then Jo’s father dies, and suddenly her charmed life is shattered. His death appears to have been a tragic mistake, but Jo quickly discovers that the details of his death don’t quite add up. If her father’s death wasn’t accidental, could it really have been suicide? Or worse… murder?