Reviews

The fortune maker by Catherine Norton

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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.

Themes Fortune-telling, Women's suffrage, worker's rights, risk taking, bravery.

Jo Marshall

Traced by Catherine Jinks

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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.

Themes Domestic violence, Coercive control, Psychological thriller.

Pat Pledger

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan

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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

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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.

Themes Psychological thriller, Disfunctional families, Troubled children.

Pat Pledger

Shelter by Catherine Jinks

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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>

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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