The Search by Dave Hartley and Scott Prince

cover image

Deadly D and Justice Jones bk 3. Magabala Books, 2015. ISBN 9781925360011
(Age: 8+) The third adventure of Deadly D and Justice Jones will be much awaited by young fans of Brisbane Bronco, or NRL fans. Whilst this book is more concerned with a strange circus and believing in your own ability, I'm sure that the take up rate for the series will be much, much higher in Rugby loving states.
Dylan is an aboriginal boy who has moved with his mother to Brisbane from Mt Isa and is secretly Deadly D the latest rugby superstar. Justice is his Kiwi friend and the only one who knows Dylan's secret.
In this episode Dylan, aka Deadly D, decides it is time to confess to his mother that he is not in fact a ball boy for the Brisbane Broncos as she believes but is really their star player, who has disappeared from public life. He believes he has given his super powers to his girlfriend so that she and her alien family could return to their own planet.
After a strange attempted kidnapping by a pair of clowns, Socks and Jocks, looking for Dylan to join the BIGTOP circus run by the Ringmaster, which is really a front for an organisation looking to harvest Dylan's DNA and clone him for his superpowers, Dylan is confronted by his mother. She is extremely disappointed that he has lied to her and immediately sends him home to his Nanna in Mt Isa.
The circus of course follows him to Mt Isa, whilst the media continues to report the disappearance of Deadly D and the desperate search by the Broncos and coach Bennett. Justice Jones is enlisted to help find the star player whilst other school students are protesting in an effort to get their favourite player to return to the field.
A trip to the circus arranged innocently by Nanna results in Dylan having to rescue not only himself but also coach Bennett and Justice from a deadly stunt arranged by the Ringmaster.
The main message of the story is revealed when Nanna gives Dylan several pieces of advice which are reiterated by his mother, 'Inspire our people' and 'Remember who you are and where you come from.'
Sue Keane

booktopia