The Unexpected Tale of Bastien Bonlivre - Clare Povey

Bastien Bonlivre has just been made an orphan following the death of his famous writer parents who were killed in a suspicious hotel fire.  Under French laws, his family friends who own Le Chat Curieux bookstore in Paris where he and his parents lived are not allowed to adopt him, therefore he is forced into an orphanage where life is anything but enjoyable.  Bastien soon makes friends with the other boys, in particular Theo, and despite the best efforts of the orphanage's cruel master, Xavier, the children manage to get by, with Bastien's natural talent as a story-teller helping them.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Paris, Olivier Odieux is a writer who is struggling to finish his latest novel and is plotting the most evil way to solve his problem.  But how are the two things connected and can Bastien and his friends stop Olivier before it's too late?

Ok, so disclaimer: I have a real soft-spot for books set in Paris so when I heard about The Unexpected Tale of Bastien Bonlivre, I was immediately drawn to it and was desperate to read it (thanks to Usborne for approving my NetGalley copy); what I wasn't prepared for though, was just exactly how much I would love this book!  It's absolutely brilliant and I wish I was still engrossed in it!

Why is it so good?

The setting.  Ok, so I have to mention this first!  As I said, it's set in Paris so descriptions of various parts of the city dance off the page to remind me just how much I love the place.  From the idea of the bookstore and bookish community, to the winding streets of Montmartre and even the catacombs under the city (really curious to take a tour of those now!), I was transported back to the city I love.  Even the food described took me back there (well, perhaps not the food served in the orphanage!)

The characters.  There are a host of wonderful characters woven into this story; some of whom you will love whilst there are others you will most definitely hate!  Bastien is a resilient young man who is determined to discover the truth about everything that is going on.  He is a natural story-teller and his imagination (as well as his stories) helps to boost the other boys' morale - I also happen to really like the short stories he tells that are within the main story.  Theo is also a rather wonderful character and the very best friend to Bastien (which is completely reciprocated). I also want to mention Alice who lives with her parents in Le Chat Curieux: she is a rather fiercely determined young lady with the best abode in the world (she lives in/above a bookshop in Paris for goodness sake!)

Finally, a word about the baddies: Xavier, who runs the orphanage, clearly hates children and reminded me very much of Miss Trunchbull in Matilda!  Also, Olivier, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants - I guarantee you will love to hate them!

The plot.  Set in 1920's Paris, The Unexpected Tale of Bastien Bonlivre very much has the feel of a classic adventure story and has all the elements you need: good versus evil, tension, action, characters you love to hate, plot twists, escapism ... there's even a map!  With messages about resilience and friendship, this is a book that I guarantee will make you feel-good, will put a smile on your face and will leave you wanting more.  

Released on September 2nd, The Unexpected Tale of Bastien Bonlivre is a must-buy book and I will absolutely be pre-ordering a copy for myself ... now, I wonder how long until book 2 is out?! 

Kaleidoscope - Brian Selznick

 

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a book that I often return to and is one that is frequently borrowed from the school library; I think it's the sheer beauty of the illustrations and the way they are completely integrated into the story that really appeals to me, so when a copy of Kaleidoscope arrived for me, I was thrilled and immediately intrigued.  It found its way to the top of my reading pile and became my next read.

The blurb didn't really give much away for me and, if anything, made me more curious about the plot.  What I quickly found is that this is a book of shorter stories which are taken from the lives of James and, rather like a kaleidoscope with its changing shards of colours and changing shapes, the stories change.  Sometimes, they are fragments of dreams, at other times they are parts of a journey or a walk.  All feature either a ship, a garden, a library or a key and the book is split into 3 parts: morning, afternoon and evening.  

I think the book feels very much like a kaleidoscope (hence the name I would assume!) in that the lives of James and his friend are broken up (as the pictures in a kaleidoscope are) and their fractured stories are put back together again through the series of short stories that form this book, looking at friendship, loneliness, grief, loss, hope.

As with Brian's other books, the illustrations form a key part of the book with each story beginning with a double page kaleidoscopic image followed by a one page illustration that links to the story.  Each pencil drawing is beautiful in its own right and worthy of spending time staring at, examining, exploring ... they are beautiful in their own right.

I'm happy to admit that I was a little confused by the book at the beginning, largely because I think I went in with expectations of the way the story would be presented and this is unlike any other book I have ever read (refreshingly so).  Once I had looked back at the first few chapters, I decided to just read without expectation and to allow the book to unfold and I found myself completely immersed in it.  If I'm honest, I'm struggling to explain the book as I think that it will be something different for everyone who reads it (in fact, I believe it will be different for me when I go back to reread it, which I fully intend to do).  Kaleidoscope is mesmerising, haunting, thought-provoking, magical, heart-breaking, soothing and completely unique.  It's a book for so many people, starting from aged 10 all the way up to anybody else who wants/needs to read it.  I urge you to let go of your expectations and to read this master-piece - this is undoubtedly going to be a book that will become a classic of our times.

O's opinion

When Mum finished reading Kaleidoscope and just sighed, I knew that when I got my hands on it I would absolutely love it. What I found brilliant was that although we know one of the two constant main characters is called James, it is never revealed who the other main character (always referred to as 'I') is. This makes it very unique for each reader, as you can take so many different messages from one passage if you read it in another way. The use of short stories only a few pages long makes this a good book to get lost in, telling your mum 'just one more!' again and again. The stories appear, at first, not to have any link, however, as you progress through the book, you realise that the stories are linked together and this draws you in even further - and this is what makes the novel so different to any other. This enables the reader to easily dip in to the stories for a quick read, or sit down for a long haul. Kaleidoscope is wonderful because it made me really think about the characters and what was happening; it is a very different book and I loved it. 

The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy Blog Tour

I was lucky enough to get my claws on an early copy of The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy in July and gobbled it up, instantly falling in love with Mariana and William, getting lost in the seaside village and the story of this unusual boy.  The book has captured a plaice in my heart and I urge you all to go out and snapper a copy up (too many fishy puns?  You'll understand when you read the book!)

You can read my full review here :

https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-peculiar-tale-of-tentacle-boy.html

Today, it is my pleasure to be able to host Richard on my stop on the blog tour to explain how the films he watched as a child have influenced his writing.

HOW FILM HAS INFLUENCED ME

When I won the Chairman’s Prize at the Times/Chicken House children’s fiction competition, Nikki Gamble kindly described my novel as “cinematic” – a comment which has stayed with me ever since. Until that conversation I’m not sure that I’d quite realised how much the workings of my imagination, and in turn my writing style, had been influenced by my love of film.

As a child of the nineties, I was a huge fan of Tim Burton’s earliest and weirdest movies. For many of my generation, he was the first and easiest entry point into understanding the role of a director – that one collection of films could all have been made by the same person, in this case, someone with an incredibly distinctive style. In that manner, a film director is much like an author. One person telling multiple stories in their own unique and inimitable way.

I was drawn to Burton’s narratives of oddball outsiders and underdogs, plus the looming architectural shapes and bold colours of his movies. It was his ability to blend the gloomy and frightful with the whimsical that has been such an inspiration to me – the director’s enticing aesthetic of ghostly, gothic characters knowingly clashing with the neon lights of Christmas, or the pastels of suburban America.

All of this works to create a distinctly heightened sense of reality – something which another of my biggest inspirations in film does to great effect… Because if the films of Tim Burton have helped inform the kind of stories I want to write, then Disney animation is responsible for the way I actually write them.

The Disney Renaissance of my childhood is widely considered as a golden age of animation. The era saw enormous leaps in animation technology, coupled with a successful return to traditional fairy tales as source material and a run of incredible soundtracks. But the most essential change which elevated these movies were the subtle, but significant improvements in writing – a move toward character driven narratives with rich settings and impeccably realised villains. What I didn’t know while I watched my VHS tape of The Lion King every day after school for six months, was that I was subconsciously absorbing the principles of Disney’s three-act structure – a model used in most of the studio’s greatest hits.

It will come as no surprise to learn that my two favourite Disney films each follow an outsider searching for something more: Ariel, the land-loving mermaid with a thirst for knowledge, unsatisfied by her life below the waves; and Quasimodo, the bellringer of Notre Dame who lives in secret on the fringes of a society he is desperate to be a part of.

I owe a lot to my family for exposing me to so many different forms of fiction throughout my childhood. If it hadn’t been for all those evenings spent reading my favourite books in one long sitting, or so many brilliant movies watched on a never-ending loop, who knows what kind of stories I might be writing today.

THE PECULIAR TALE OF THE TENTACLE BOY is out now, priced £6.99. Read chapter 1 on the Chicken House website!

Aarti & The Blue Gods - Jasbinder Bilan

12 year-old Aarti has lived on a remote Scottish island with her Aunt Amalie for as long as she can remember and has no memories of her parents who died when she was little. She and her aunt are the only ones on the island and survive on the land, with a few animals to support them; other than Chand, her fox, Aarti has no-one.  She knows that her aunt loves her but she can get angry and Aarti spends much of her time trying to predict her moods which can make life difficult, especially when she is forced to do lengthy daily ballet and carry out heavy chores and fishing in the freezing cold.  She longs to learn more about her parents but her aunt won't tell her and keeps her bedroom locked so any secrets remain hidden.  However, one day, she manages to sneak into the room and discovers an piece of her past which leads her to begin to question everything.  But can Aarti discover the truth about her past and can her call for help into the winds really bring answers? 

From the beginning of the book, you realise that Aarti is living a very different life: alone on a tiny Scottish island with no friends and only her temperamental aunt for company, this is certainly no normal upbringing.  Amalie is clearly troubled and has her own issues which she is dealing with - she seems to love Aarti yet there is a dark side to her which is threatening and intimidating.  It creates huge amounts of conflict in Aarti who is torn between keeping her aunt happy and discovering what happened to her parents and I found myself rooting for her from the very first page.

Magic and myth play a big role in this book: one of Aarti's favourite books is her Krishna book and it is whilst reading that that she begs to know who she really is - the book is her companion and keeps her company.  When Euan arrives on the island, washed-up after being ship-wrecked, she finds a friend and the links between Indian and Scottish myths are woven beautifully together.

I have to give a nod to the setting of this book: having spent so much of my time as a child visiting my grandparents in Scotland, I have a real affection for the country so to read about the landscape and the weather was wonderful; however, the real treat for me was the description of potato cakes and tablet!  Having the piece of tablet there to nibble on was perfect and I've already searched how to make potato cakes 'cause I now have a real craving for them - Jasbinder's description of them made me drool!  In fact, her description throughout create such a strong and compelling atmosphere which drew me in kept me enthralled.  

Aarti & The Blue Gods is a journey of self-discovery; a story of isolation, friendship, finding yourself and facing your fears.  It's a wonderful read that had me in floods of tears!  Aarti is a young lady who will stay with me for quite some time and her strength is to be admired. 

Released on the 2nd September, I highly recommend you read Aarti & The Blue Gods with a supply of potato cakes, tablet and tissues!

Love From Joy - Jenny Valentine

 

I first met Joy Applebloom and her family back in February when I read A Girl Called Joy and I couldn't help falling for her positivity and her enthusiasm for life so when Love From Joy arrived through the letterbox the other day, I was thrilled and decided to dive straight in.

Joy and her family are still living with Joy's grandfather but Joy is juggling 8 things she's trying to deal with at the minute:

1. her sister has been grounded
2. her sister isn't talking to her parents
3. she thinks her grandad is lonely
4. Benny is being bullied but won't tell anybody but Joy about it
5. she's desperate to get her teacher to like her
6. she's behind in her letter writing
7. she's helping to plan a top secret birthday party
8. she's started sleepwalking

And so, as the book unfolds, we follow Joy as she navigates her way through all eight of the issues without letting anybody down and in her own, unique and positive way.

Joy is a wonderful person and it was a pleasure to be back with her again.  I love her attitude and approach to life, especially in this book when her love of letter writing comes to the fore.  As a girl, I loved writing letters and I can't help but feel that it has become somewhat of a lost art in this modern, technological age.  She shows how useful letters can be.  She's a very good friend, both to her sister as well as to her best friend, Benny, and her approach towards helping him solve his bullying problem was just wonderful to read - it certainly shows readers that we should always look beyond what is happening and consider what we don't really know.

Like A Girl Called Joy, this was a bright and heart-warming book; my only problem was that it finished too quickly!  I wonder what Joy will get up to next.

Love From Joy is released on the 19th August.

Ash House - Angharad Walker

When Sol (Solitude) arrives at The Ash House, he can't remember his name or how he managed to get there but he's hoping that this new place will be able to do what all other doctors have failed to do: cure his chronic back pain.  However, he very quickly discovers that things are very different in this house.  The children seem to be on their own but say that the Headmaster will be back soon (but they've been waiting for him to return for 3 years); they are all named after a virtue or 'Niceness' which forms the rules of how they live; their dormitory is in the greenhouse; they each have their set chore and live to a strict daily routine; they hold daily meetings which are based around a phone call from the Headmaster and Concord seems to be in charge.  Sol finds it difficult to settle but a boy called Dom (Freedom) is determined to take him under his wing and help him.  Dom shows him the daily routines and what is expected of everyone, but also worries that the others will discover Sol's sickness; he suffers from debilitating back pain which results in seizures.  As the days progress, Sol realises that the other children seem scared of many things, but mainly the idea of children getting sick which would result in the arrival of the Doctor.  So what happens when the Doctor turns up and decides he can cure Sol of his back pain?  And will he ever escape?  

From the very beginning of this book there is a very definite element of the unknown (Sol can't remember his name and has no idea where he's going or how he got to be in the car that's taking him there) and this is a theme that continues throughout the book.  There is a quiet and, at first, subtle build up of tension which means that you don't quite know who or what to trust - it leaves you unsettled and on edge in the most gripping way!  It starts with the house itself which seems to be made literally of ash and smoke and seems otherworldly in its description, creating an air of mystery (I actually wondered whether it was real at one point).  There are many elements of the house that creeped me out: the fact that they aren't allowed upstairs, the strange noises that can be heard (which later turn out to be the shucks which are equally as scary); the idea that the hut moves of its own accord, not to mention the fact that the children sleep in the greenhouse.  The children themselves were also rather eerie in their attitude and their actions (they seemed to have no concept of the outside world and are terrified of heading beyond the boundary), they are bound by the rules of the Headmaster even though he's been absent for 3 years and are utterly terrified of the Doctor - it all contributes towards the tension and the eeriness of the book.

The Ash House is a creepy book that will grip you, scare you and unsettle you in equal measure, and it will keep you questioning so you find it difficult to put the book down.  It's a chilling MG horror book about friendship, memory and control that will be a hit with readers aged 10+ and I'm looking forward to seeing what my class think of it next term.

Dragon City - Katie & Kevin Tsang

 

There are certain authors and series that I will happily drop everything for when I know that there is a new book to read, and Katie and Kevin Tsang's Dragon Realm series most definitely falls into that category. Having read an early copy of Dragon Mountain way back in April 2020, I've been gripped by the series, so discovering that the highly anticipated Dragon City was available on NetGalley this morning meant that I had no other choice but to abandon all plans, ignore my family and rejoin Billy, Dylan, Charlotte and Ling Fei on their continuing adventures.

If you remember, Dragon Legend left us on quite the cliff-hanger, with the quartet arriving, rather bewildered, in Dragon City, and that is where we join them at the beginning of book 3.  They are trying desperately to get by without being noticed by the dragons, in particular their old adversary the Dragon of Death who rules supreme in this world.  Life is completely different 5000 years in the future where dragons rule over humans.  It's a scary place for Billy and his friends who have been separated from their dragons; however, they are determined to find them again.  Having found a long-abandoned underground train in which to stay, they begin to work out how they are going to locate their dragons.  They believe that attending the five thousand year anniversary will help them out but this only causes more problems which, in the end, leads them to entering the grand tournament which holds the promise of the winning human being bonded with Death's Shadow. What will they do and how will they survive?  To know that, I'm afraid you'll have to read the book!

I know that when coming back to a series it can take time to reacquaint yourself with the characters and past plots, but chapter 2 does a wonderful job of weaving a recap into the plot whilst also telling us that Billy and his friends are currently working as dragon groomers (not a job I'd particularly want having read the consequences!).  It means that you are straight back into the action without having to remember what happened previously.

It was so good to be reunited with Billy and his friends who have some tough times ahead of them.  I don't want to give too much away but their strength of character and their individual skills are most definitely challenged in this book.  It was also good to see characters like Goldie making an appearance as well as some old adversaries, but there are also a host of new characters for you to enjoy (and perhaps hate as well!).  Midnight was a particular favourite - young but brave and feisty!

Whilst it's wonderful to be back with the characters, I believe that it's the plot of Dragon City which is the real pull in this book and, without giving anything away, I have to prepare you for a rollercoaster of a journey with excitement, tension and the most unexpected twists; I can guarantee you a gripping visit to Dragon City and one you won't want to leave until you've read the final page.  I experienced every emotion possible during the course of the book (and yes, I'm warning you that I cried on more than one occasion!) and was quite unprepared for the effect the plot would have on me - you have been warned!

I know that the next book will be the final in the series (if my memory serves me well) and I'm both excited and nervous about it: excited because I can't wait to see what's next for our friends and their dragons, but also sad that it will be last we see of them.

Released on the 2nd September, I know that Dragon City will be just as big a hit as Dragon Mountain and Dragon legend, and I already know that there will be a huge scramble for it at school next term!

Summer reading - My Ibiza holiday books

It was an absolute pleasure to be able to head off to our usual spot in Ibiza this July.  I'm aware that many people won't have that luxury this year and I'm grateful for the chance we had - it was a holiday we had booked last year so to actually be able to enjoy it was an absolute pleasure!  

As you might imagine, reading played a big part in the holiday and I managed to finish 11 books!  In fact, as a family, the books we took just about filled our carry-on suitcase!

It felt like such a luxury to be able to just sit in the sunshine (with a cocktail or two!) and read!  So, here's a summary of the books I read in the order in which I read them:

Adam 2 - Alastair Chisholm (release date: 5th August)

https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2021/07/adam-2-alastair-chisholm.html

Shadowghast - Thomas Taylor (Release date: 14th September)

https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2021/07/shadowghast-thomas-taylor.html

Rules for Vampires - Alex Foulkes (Release date: 16th September)

https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2021/07/rules-for-vampires-alex-foulkes.html

Lightning Falls - Amy Wilson (Release date: 19th August)

Lightning Falls is a ghost house where guests stay for the atmosphere and the ghostly goings-on, and Valerie has lived there happily for as long as she can remember.  She's a ghost, after all, although she's the only one of the ghosts who gets older and who can eat.  However, things are changing: star-storms are becoming more frequent and are causing problems for the guest house.  Then one day, as her thirteenth birthday approaches,  she meets Joe and everything changes.  He introduces her to the bridge beyond the viaduct that leads to a whole new, magical world, the world of Orbis that Joe believes is Valerie's real home.  Danger and truth await Valerie if she is brave enough to take the plunge. 

This is a beautifully written book full of ghosts, magic, family and just enough tension to keep you absolutely gripped.  With characters that will charm you and a plot that will lure you in, this is a stunning read and, I think, Amy's best book yet.

The Chime Seekers - Ross Montomgery (Release date: November 2021)

https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-chime-seekers-ross-montgomery.html

The Edelweiss Pirates - Dirk Reinhardt (Release date: 26th August)

A powerful book that had me in tears several times.  Largely written as diary extracts, the book tells the story of Josef and his life during WWII when he made the decision to leave the Hitler Youth and join the Edelweiss Pirates, a group of resistance teenagers whose desire to rebel against the Nazi regime was, much of the time, dangerous and deadly. 

This is a compelling and emotional read that I found absolutely fascinating, especially the different perspective.  I know that this book was the inspiration for Dan Smith's My Brother's Secret which is also a book I highly recommend.  I'm incredibly grateful to Pushkin Press for sending this book my way and I'm grateful to Rachel Ward for translating it into English.  

The Burglar's Ball - Julia Golding (Release date: :22nd October)

Jane's sister is invited to attend a ball at her old school and takes Jane along for company; however, when they arrive, they discover that things aren't going as well as expected for the school.  When priceless jewels are stolen during the ball, it's up to Jane to get to the bottom of the mystery.

It was lovely to be back with Jane and her investigative ways; her spirit and refusal to conform to expectations make the book a refreshing read, whilst also trying to guess who the culprit was.  With Grandison the dog as well as Deepti and Arjun back along for the adventure, this is a brilliant, quick-paced sequel that can also be read as a stand-alone.  It's already gone down well at school and I know it will be loved by many more children next term.

The Book of Stolen Dreams - David Farr (Release date: 30th September)

https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-book-of-stolen-dreams-david-farr.html

Locked Out Lily - Nick Lake (Release date: 30th September)

https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2021/07/locked-out-lily-nick-lake-illustrated.html

How To Survive Without Grown-ups - Larry Hayes (Release date: 19th August)

Eliza and Johnnie's parents have gone to Mars ... and they're never coming back!  Realising that something isn't quite right, it's up to Eliza and her genius younger brother to get to the bottom of what's going on and save their parents before it's too late!  A journey to a remote island full of wonderful inventions and a suspect recluse of an owner, a race through space and a vampire squid all make this a hilarious, fast-paced story that will make a perfect end of summer read.

Pax Journey Home - Sara Pennypacker (Release date: 7th September)

A year after Pax and Peter went their separate ways, we rejoin them again.  Pax is now a father and his focus is protecting his family, whilst Peter, determined to be independent, has left Vola and has joined the Water Warriors; however, his thoughts return on a daily basis to Pax and he finds it difficult to lay his past to rest.  But what happens when they find each other again?

It was wonderful to be back with Pax and Peter again.  The writing is just as beautiful as book one and is full of heart and emotion.  You'll find yourself completely immersed in the lives of both fox and boy once more.  It was a privilege to be able to glimpse the next part of their journey.

Giften - Layla Suzan (Release date: 2nd September)

Ruthie is a Giften which means that she can give life to the land around her, raising crops from dead soil.  A wonderful git to have but one that the the army in the City are keen to harness so life is dangerous.  The book follows Ruthie, her family and her friends, and her quest to save everything.

A gripping YA novel that will be perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and a perfect book for Year 7+.

The Raven Heir - Stephanie Burgis

Cordelia and her siblings Rosalind and Giles (triplets) live in a castle hidden in the forest with their mother and their older brother Connall, protected by their mother's magic.  Cordelia struggles to stay within the safety of the castle walls and, as a shape-shifter, escapes under the disguise of many different animals.  One day, however, they are discovered and soldiers arrive with the intention of taking whoever is the heir to the throne; however, as nobody knows who the eldest triplet is, they do not know who to take.  Their mother and Conall are arrested and imprisoned which allows the triplets to escape.  Their mother is all too aware that anybody who takes the Raven Crown since it was broken has died and she simply refuses to allow this to happen to her children.  Cordelia and her siblings run into the forest and are forced to find their way on their own whilst also trying to find a way to save their mother and brother, but can she also save the kingdom of Crovenne at the same time?

I loved the sound of this book: castles, forests, magic and adventure; and I wasn't disappointed!  

The book is set in the heart of the forest and links closely to nature, in fact Cordelia is a shape-shifter so her link to the forest and nature is runs through her.  The forest, for me, provides a sense of trepidation and the writing allowed me to feel as though I was there with the triplets; listening for the snap of the twigs and feeling the magic swirling around me - it's an immersive read.

Cordelia is a strong character with the fiercest sense of determination I've read in a book for a long time.  She is wary of everything (understandably) but her strong character and her shape-shifting ways, as well as her links to the land, allow her to navigate her way through the perilous situation.  Her siblings have very different characteristics and I liked this about them, particularly Giles' song-writing!

The messages within the book are strong: sometimes it is better to work together and to trust those close to you instead of working alone; trust the family who are there for you and follow your heart.

This was a captivating read and I can't wait to see what happens next to the triplets. 

Danger at Dead Man's Pass - MG Leonard & Sam Sedgman

Hal and his Uncle Nat are back in their fourth adventure, Danger at Dead Man's Pass,  and I couldn't have been more excited to have been given approval to read an early copy on NetGalley!

It's the beginning of the Easter holidays and Hal is surprised to see his Uncle Hal waiting for him as he leaves school.  He's received a letter from an old friend who needs them to investigate the death of Alexander, a family member, at a German castle where there is also a family curse.  Heading to Germany via the Eurostar and then the night train to Berlin, Hal and Nat are forced to go under-cover as distant relatives attending the funeral in order to try to get to the bottom of what is going on.

This is a slightly different adventure for Hal and his uncle as they usually investigate incidents that arise once they are aboard the train and have started their journey; however, this time they are boarding trains knowing that something untoward has already occurred.  This adds an air of suspense right from the beginning of the book, as does the fact that they are required to disguise themselves (which involves a shopping trip and a change of hair-style for Hal).  

The final location of the investigation must also take a great deal of credit for increasing the tension.  A remote castle at the bottom of the Harz mountains, long held by the family, with winding corridors, towers and bats lurking, coupled with the fact that the family have their own railway line and station (both up to the castle as well as on to the peak of Brocken Mountain where the funeral train takes the party for the service) all helps to create a tense atmosphere.  Dead Man's Pass lies within sight of the castle, was the location for Alexander's death and the where the family curse is believed to have originated - cold snowy mountains and with a skull face within its stones, it's enough to send shivers down anybody's spine!

Hal takes on a more independent role in this book due to the fact that he and his Uncle Hal are in separate rooms in the castle, but also because there seems to be something sinister going on with Hal which bubbles in the undercurrents of the book - is he hiding something?  Hal is determined to get to the bottom of it, as well as the investigation they were invited to solve.  I really enjoyed seeing him become more independent and it was also interesting to see how he managed when he couldn't openly use his artistic skills to help him.

With Elisa Paganelli's illustrations adding to the book, Danger at Dead Man's Pass is arguably the best book in the series yet!  Maya and Sam's writing just seems to go from strength to strength and I can't wait to see where there writing takes Hal and Nat next!

Due for release on the 16th September, this is a train journey you are going to want to board!