Tag: mystery

Posted in authors, interviews

Emily Gale on The Wild Unknown

Posted on by Alphabet Soup
A photo of author Emily Gale
The cover of The Wild Unknown.

Emily Gale writes junior fiction, middle grade novels (novels for upper primary school), and young adult novels. Emily’s books have been published all over the world and shortlisted for a number of awards. Today we’re thrilled to be chatting with Emily about her latest novel: The Wild Unknown.

From the publisher:

It’s 2045 and the world is full of tech. Eddie has a bot in his ear giving him advice all day, a bathroom scale that identifies illnesses, and classroom bots keeping track of him at school. The streets are full of delivery bots and game tech is amazing. But tech can’t help the police find a missing boy called Theo, who was last seen at the river. Eddie and his friends sneak down to the river to look for clues. What they find doesn’t make any sense. Then strange things start happening to Eddie. The Wild Unknown is a gripping adventure set in a near-future world where the truth can be difficult to find and where real friends will always be better than the smartest tech.

Text Publishing provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of this book.

You wrote about the past and the present in your novels Elsewhere Girls and Outlaw Girls [both co-written with Nova Weetman]. What brought you to write about the near-future in The Wild Unknown?

I’ve always loved thinking about and writing about history. I like old things and sometimes feel nervous about new things. And that’s why I did it really: to step out of my comfort zone. I’d already decided on one part of the story, the transformation part (Eddie’s body changes in weird ways, for example he grows feather-like things on his arms), and I thought setting the story in the future would let me explore why that was happening using a mixture of my imagination and future predictions.

The cover of Elsewhere Girls
The cover of Outlaw Girls.
The cover of The Wild Unknown.

How did you go about imagining the technology that features in your 2045 world?

I made up anything I wanted to but I also did loads of research into the future, just the same as when I write about history. I had a research folder with subject headings that were important to my story. I looked into predictions of everyday things like food, architecture, home technology, medicine, school, and travel. That meant reading science articles and looking at what it’s like in other countries in terms of daily life and technology. For example, Japan has a lot more tech hardware than Australia, a lot of really cool stuff; China moves very fast in developing technology, and so does America which is home to a lot of the tech giants like Google and OpenAI. I wanted my story to feel Australian and be easy for readers here to picture themselves in. As the story is set twenty years in the future, I also looked back twenty years to see how much things have changed in that time. I had to make a lot of decisions, so I reminded myself that I am not a fortune-teller or psychic, and the future I was creating was for a story, so it didn’t matter if I got it “wrong”. In fact I hope I did get it wrong!

Is there any particular tech that you would love to see in your future? (Or that you’d hope wasn’t around?)

Something that would benefit me is supersonic flight because I live on the other side of the planet from most of my family and I get homesick for London. It would make me so happy to be able to get there faster! The trouble is that supersonic flight would be harmful to the planet, so I can’t wish for that.

That’s the difficulty we face with a lot of tech: weighing up whether it will do more harm than good. Sometimes that’s hard to work out.

I’d like tech that actually makes peoples lives better without any downside — like Eddie’s dad in The Wild Unknown having an amazing wheelchair. Maybe for myself I’d like a robot to free up my time for writing by doing boring household tasks. But I wouldn’t want it to look human or pretend to be my friend because I think that messes with our minds, which is part of my storyline in The Wild Unknown.

How do you think current tech is changing the way humans might behave in our future?

The main worry for me is that humans need to keep our brains in shape, just like our bodies, and we know now that using screens too much makes our brains slower and sadder, while using some kinds of AI can stop us from thinking for ourselves. At the same time, breakthroughs in technology will save lives, so it’s all about balance! I trust that the natural beauty and the extraordinary gifts of our planet mean more to us than any tech, but we have to keep reminding ourselves of that and protect what makes us human, while developing technology that fits with that thinking.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

My next book is very different and it’s for much younger readers. It’s a funny, sweet, illustrated set of stories for younger readers about two animal friends, Ted (a fox) and Tuppence (a cat), which is coming out in 2027. I’ve also started working on another story set in the past, during World War One, which has a magical element to it a bit like Elsewhere Girls and Outlaw Girls. That’s all I can say because it’s a new idea and I like to keep new ideas safe and warm in my brain for a long time.

The Wild Unknown is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS:

Read the first chapter of The Wild Unknown at the publisher’s website

Read our 2024 interview with Emily Gale & Nova Weetman about Outlaw Girls

Download the Teachers’ Notes for The Wild Unknown

The cover of The Wild Unknown.
Posted in Book reviews by kids

Book review: The Table Cape Crusader

Posted on by Alphabet Soup
The Table Cape Crusader (book cover)

The Secret Detectives Club: The Table Cape Crusader by Kate Gordon, Riveted Press, ISBN 9781764007153

REVIEWED BY JOHN, 8, WA

The publisher provided a review copy of this book.

The Table Cape Crusader, is about an eleven-year-old boy called Rocko Jarvis and his friends Cosmo Calhoun and Mingus. The boys form the Secret Detectives Club to solve cases and have fun together. 

In this book they are trying to find out who is blackmailing everyone and sending them notes. The book is mysterious and funny, and I liked the twist at the very end which was just a little bit scary.

I think that this book would be good for kids aged 7 to 12 who like mystery books.

I can’t wait to read the next book!

John is a regular book reviewer for Alphabet Soup. You can read an earlier review here. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines.

Posted in Book reviews by Ella, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Escape From Marigold Manor

Posted on by Alphabet Soup
The cover of a children's book: Escape from Marigold Manor by Rachel Jackson.

Escape From Marigold Manor by Rachel Jackson, Riveted Press, ISBN 9781763526068

REVIEWED BY ELLA, 9, WA

The publisher provided a review copy of this title.

Escape from Marigold Manor is a detective book with lots of cases, which the reader sometimes has to help solve.

This is not the kind of book I would usually read, but I enjoyed the surprising endings and interesting challenges. I did find some of the challenges a little bit tricky! 

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries and puzzles, and choose-your-own-adventure books! 

Read Alphabet Soup’s interview with the author

Ella is a regular book reviewer for Alphabet Soup. You can read another of her reviews here. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines.

Posted in Book reviews by Edith, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Lexie Moon and the Word Burgling Bungle

Posted on by Alphabet Soup
The book cover of Lexie Moon and the Word Burgling Bungle by Melissa Garside and illustrated by Lauren Mullinder

Lexie Moon and the Word Burgling Bungle by Melissa Garside, illustrated by Lauren Mullinder, Riveted Press, ISBN 9781763526037

REVIEWED BY EDITH, 9, WA

The publisher provided a review copy of this book.

This book centres around the main character, Lexie Moon, who builds a contraption that takes someone’s words and gives them to someone else but alas Lexi’s invention gets stolen by a technology-crazy burglar.

Lexi Moon and the Word Burgling Bungle is perfect for tween readers who want a fun and interesting book. I absolutely loved keeping up with Lexi’s antics and the plot kept me guessing till the very end. I cannot wait to join Lexie Moon on her next adventure!

Read our May 2025 interview with the author of Lexie Moon and Word Burgling Bungle.

This is Edith’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in authors, interviews

Rachel Jackson on Escape from Marigold Manor

Posted on by Alphabet Soup
The cover of a children's book: Escape from Marigold Manor by Rachel Jackson.
A head and shoulders photo of Rachel Jackson.

Rachel Jackson draws on her extensive experience as an intelligence specialist to create twisty branching plotlines. She’s also a sucker for good puzzles and bad jokes – subject matter that she shares generously with her readers in the Solve It Your Way series published by Riveted Press. Today we’re chatting to Rachel about her latest book in the series: Escape from Marigold Manor.

The publisher provided a review copy of Escape From Marigold Manor.

From the publisher:

You are the greatest detective in the land and you’re facing your biggest mystery yet. It turns out there is more than one way to leave Marigold Manor … You’ll find thirty-two unique endings in Escape from Marigold Manor. Each mystery requires you to complete a series of interviews and brainteasers in order to identify the culprit. The challenges include puzzles that you must crack in order to unlock safes, read secret messages and locate hidden clues. The casefiles at the back of the book will help you keep track of which cases you’ve sold, and which cases still await you in the mansion. Can you solve them all?

Escape from Marigold Manor has 32 mysteries in one book, with the reader’s choices affecting the path each mystery takes. As the writer, is it tricky to keep track of all those story paths?

I always joke that my brain is all over the place, and the Solve It Your Way books are just a reflection of my brain! Truth is, when I’m writing an interactive fiction like this, I use a spreadsheet to create a visual chart of the book’s structure. If you’ve ever done mind-mapping – with the ideas in little bubbles and lines branching out from there to more idea bubbles – it’s a lot like that.

The tricky part can be finding the right puzzle for a specific part of the story. This is particularly true in the case of Escape from Marigold Manor – where there are puzzles inside of puzzles as you navigate crime scenes and suspects.

When you read interactive stories like these, are you the kind of reader who picks a path and forges on – or do you keep a finger bookmarking the various pathways so you can try a different path if you don’t like the outcome of your first choice?

Oh, finger bookmarking – definitely! And I would run out of fingers. In fact, this is the exact reason that Escape from Marigold Manor has a checklist at the back with page numbers so you can reinsert yourself into the story at key junctions, without having to start all over again. Now, fingers are free for tearing out hair, biting fingernails or otherwise immersing yourself in the dastardly world of Marigold Manor.

In real life you have experience solving mysteries, and in Escape from Marigold Manor, the reader is the detective. When there’s a mystery to be solved, what makes a great detective?

Firstly, kindness. Because the whole point of trying to solve the mystery is that you want to help someone – the victim, their family, the community and even the offender.

Once you’re knee deep in clues and suspects you need to have enough attention to detail to gather all the information surrounding the mystery, but then you need to be able to decide which information is actually useful. If you find yourself faced with a mystery (say, your pencil is gone), start by asking small questions that you can answer (such as – when did you see it last? Two days ago, on your bookshelf!). This will lead you to bigger questions that you can’t answer – yet! (Who had access to my bookshelf in the last two days?). That knowledge gap is where you need to focus your investigation. You might want to interview suspects (your little brother?) to identify motive (he was looking for a pencil last week!) and opportunity (but he was camping with Dad the whole time, so he couldn’t have taken the pencil). Keep asking questions and chasing up new leads. Even the ones that don’t seem important at first (mum did the shopping yesterday), might turn out to be the key to solving the mystery! (Mum borrowed your pencil to write the shopping list.)

Do you have a tip for young writers who want to write a mystery story of their own?

Do it! Honestly, it’s so much fun. The key to a good mystery, in my opinion, is that more than one character should have good reason to have committed the crime. So, make your characters really interesting, with shades of good and bad. That way, whoever your villain turns out to be, it will make sense to the reader!

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next? 

The most wonderful thing about the Solve It Your Way Series is that I get to build these puzzle-filled interactive storylines in a brand new setting each time. First was a swashbuckling pirate adventure in Escape from Cuttlefish Cove, then came the detective who-dunnit in Escape from Marigold Manor. Up next – dragons! Oodles of dragons for the reader to collect and interact with. Sleep with one eye open – Escape from Firestone Fortress is coming!

Escape from Marigold Manor is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

The cover of a children's book: Escape from Marigold Manor by Rachel Jackson.
Posted in Book reviews by Aashi, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Thea Stilton and the Chocolate Sabotage

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

Thea Stilton and the Chocolate Sabotage by Elisabetta Dami, Scholastic, ISBN 9780545646567

REVIEWED BY AASHI, 10 VIC

Aashi reviewed her own copy of this book.

The Thea Sisters set off on an adventure to Ecuador. They are visiting Paulina’s old friend, Antonio, who runs a chocolate factory. He runs Choco Loco with his cousin Hector. 

Choco Loco is in the running for the Chocolate Cup award. The award is very prestigious so the competition is tough. Out of the blue there are multiple malfunctions in the factory. The Thea Sisters start to wonder if it is sabotage. Join them to solve the case.

The book is full of interesting and exciting scenes. Every Thea Sister is good and loves different things and together they are unstoppable. Colette loves fashion and is great at designing clothes. Violet is shy but so smart and great at classical arts. Pamela is talented at mechanics and cooking, she loves eating. Pauline likes technology and loves travelling. Nicky is enthusiastic about sports and fitness.

My favourite character is Violet because even though she is shy on the outside, in the inside she has such cool ideas and is so talented at many things.

Thea Stilton and The Chocolate Sabotage is a good fit for people who want to solve a mystery. You will definitely enjoy it if you enjoyed Sherlock Holmes. If you get stuck trying to solve the mystery, there are clues to help you.

I recommend the book for people aged seven to ten as it has some tricky words but lots of colourful pictures to illustrate it. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars as it could have had some clearer explanations.

Aashi is a regular book reviewer for Alphabet Soup. You can read more of her book reviews here. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines.

Happy reading!

Posted in authors, interviews

Sandi Parsons on Salty

Posted on by Alphabet Soup
A photo of Sandi Parsos surrounded by books.
A children's book: Salty by Sandi Parsons.

Sandi Parsons is an avid reader, writer and storyteller. She lives in Western Australia with some problem puppies and many teetering stacks of books. Today we’re chatting to Sandi about her latest book: Salty.

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of Salty.

From the publisher:

Dara longs to have a best friend, someone she can hang out with. But it seems like Josh, her new assignment partner, will land her in popularity purgatory.
At least their assignment topic is perfect — Ned Kelly’s death mask. Now, Dara can drop words like ‘pseudomedicine’ and ‘phrenological analysis’ into casual conversation.
When ‘Ned’s head’ is stolen, Josh is convinced the culprit is their new art teacher, Ms Isoba.
As Josh hunts for clues to prove his theory, he discovers that Ms Isoba isn’t the only person with a secret.
​What’s Dara hiding?

Dara is a collector of interesting words – how did you choose which words to include as Dara’s words-of-the-day to include in Salty?

I researched lots of words before I settled on a handful I wanted to include. As a dog lover, groke (the way a dog stares at you, hoping you will share your food) was always going to be in the story. With my starter words in hand, I started writing Salty. In my second draft, if I felt a chapter needed a “word” that wasn’t in my word stash, I’d hunt about to see if I could find a word that would fit. That’s how I found chork (the sound shoes make when they are wet). Occasionally, my hunt wouldn’t reveal a suitable word, but would give me different word to use somewhere else in Salty. 

Do you have a favourite word? Is it one of Dara’s words?

Originally, my favourite word, scurryfunge, (to rush about tidying up on the moments before a guest arrives) didn’t find a place in Salty. When I did a structural edit, some interactions between Dara, Melody and Justine changed places, and scurryfunge slotted into place like it was always meant to go there. 

I’m also quite fond of snollygoster (a corrupt politician, or person who is in public service for their own benefit.) It’s a word that rolls off the tongue easily, but there wasn’t a logical place to include it.

How did Ned Kelly and his death mask end up in your story?

The original idea for Salty was a question. Why would a criminal need to hide in a school? After brainstorming some scenarios, the most likely answer was that students could be ‘camouflage” for someone casing a museum. Teachers on excursion have an excuse to take more photos than they need. I included Ned Kelly, because I wanted the thief to steal something uniquely Australian. The death mask was something I could picture Dara getting enthusiastic about, while Josh would turn his nose up at it.

Dara lives with cystic fibrosis. Are her day-to-day experiences at school similar to your own school experiences growing up?

I experienced way more problems with my digestive system than I did with my lungs when I was Dara’s age. So, to some extent, Dara’s experiences do mirror mine. No one with CF ever wants to have someone waiting for them in the bathroom! I wanted to go to friends houses and play after school, but I had to go home to do my afternoon treatments. This meant I was excluded from some friendship groups. 

When I was six, my enzymes came in foil packets. They took ages to open, and there was no way to take them discreetly. Everyone would stare. I was ten when the foil packets were replaced with bottles. I would quickly pop them in my mouth hoping no one would notice (they always did). When I was older I turned it into a party trick. If you draw attention to something, you give it less importance. (Dara isn’t that confident yet!)

Everyone with CF has a story to tell about people staring when you cough. Some people have very loud looks! Others will make nasty comments.

What’s the hardest part about writing a mystery?

I wanted to make it clear to the reader from the beginning that Ms Isoba was not what she seemed. (Just like Count Olaf in A Series of Unfortunate Events.) So, my focus was on making Ms Isoba seem like she had fooled everyone while the reader knew she was … probably … guilty. It was tricky!

Salty is out now! You can buy copies online or ask for it at your local library.

Visit Sandi Parsons at her website to find out more about her and her books.

The cover of a children's book: Salty by Sandi Parsons. The cover is predominantly yellow and features the title of the book as if it was a word on a chain (necklace) and underneath is the illustration of two children. A boy on the left holds a magnifying glass up to his eye, the girl on the right has clips in her blonde hair and she is holding up a dictionary. Just next to the children is a ned-kelly type helmet and what looks like scrabble tiles on a table that spell out Salty
Posted in Book reviews by Aashi, Book reviews by kids

Book review: The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage

Posted on by Alphabet Soup
The cover of The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage

The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage by Charlie Archbold, Text Publishing, ISBN 9781922790996

REVIEWED BY AASHI, 10, VIC

The publisher provided a review copy of this book.

The Sugarcane Kids face a crisis: animals are mysteriously disappearing all over town, including Gloria, a beloved pet. Although the kids have their suspicions, the adults refuse to listen. It’s time for the kids to take matters into their own hands and embark on an adventure to solve the mystery.

The Sugarcane Kids and The Empty Cage is not just a story about solving a mystery; it’s a narrative that encourages young readers to take action, work together, and approach challenges with a growth mindset. This heartwarming tale will leave readers with smiles and a sense of hope that echoes long after they turn the final page. It’s a must-read for any young adventurer at heart!

The book is perfect for kids between 7 and 10 years old. I hope you get a chance to read this great story.

Happy Reading!

Read our earlier interview with the author.

Aashi is a regular book reviewer for Alphabet Soup. You can read more of her book reviews here. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines.

Happy reading!

Posted in authors, interviews

Mark Greenwood on the History Hunter series

Posted on by Alphabet Soup
A head and shoulders photo of Mark Greenwood

Mark Greenwood is a history hunter! He enjoys searching for lost explorers and glittering treasure, delving into baffling mysteries and investigating famous cold cases. His many award-winning books examining history and multicultural themes have been honoured internationally. Today Mark chats to us about his new History Hunter series, exploring unsolved mysteries. The first two books in the series – The Vanishing and The Dragon’s Treasure – were released in July 2024.

The Vanishing by Mark Greenwood
The Dragon's Treasure by Mark Greenwood

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with reading copies of these books.

From the publisher:

The Vanishing: In 1978, a young pilot vanishes during a routine flight over a notorious stretch of water. His radio transmission to airport control is one of the most bizarre ever recorded. What did Frederick Valentich encounter? Where did he disappear to?

The Dragon’s Treasure: On a summer morning in 1931, four children on a remote beach make a remarkable discovery. But this is only one of many astonishing finds in the same area: silver coins, hidden chests, mysterious stones, strange objects and an unidentified skeleton. Why is it all there? Where has it come from? Can the truth be found?

Join the History Hunter to unravel these marvellous mysteries.

You’re an avid history hunter, but how did you come to hear about these two unsolved mysteries from 1931 and 1978? (Do you overhear conversations, or frequently look through old newspaper articles to uncover anything interesting?)

I’m drawn to real-life mysteries to search for the truth. The spark to write could be a character, a place, an event, a photograph that teases my imagination, an object or relic, or a tall tale recalled. Sometimes, I wonder if we come across stories by chance – or if stories find us. A curious, questioning mind kick-starts the research process and once history hunters get going, there is no stopping the search for truth.

The Dragon’s Treasure invites readers on an adventure back in time. The premise reads like the plot of a fictional novel – a fabled shipwreck, seven chests of treasure, a mysterious skeleton and 68 desperate castaways abandoned on a bleak coast. But sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. 

There are many mysteries out there, waiting to be discovered – secrets and hauntings, unexplained occurrences, lost treasure. There are mysteries that solve the disappearance of something or someone. There are mysteries that remain unsolved. Not to mention strange objects, legendary creatures, ghostly ships, freaky phenomena and cryptic codes. For history hunters, a mystery is anything inexplicable, unknown or puzzling. That is what drew me to the story of The Vanishing …

Do you have an opinion about what really happened to the pilot who vanished?

The Vanishing kicks the History Hunter series off with THE question – are we alone in the universe? The disappearance of pilot Frederick Valentich is Australia’s greatest aviation mystery. In 1978, he was on a routine flight over the Bass Straight when he reported an encounter with a UFO. His extraordinary voice transmission with Melbourne flight control was recorded in full. His last words were: ‘It’s not an aircraft …’ Neither Valentich nor his plane were ever found. What on earth (or not of this earth) happened? After years of research, I have formed my own opinion about what happened to Frederick Valentich. I conducted a thorough investigation, and The Vanishing provides evidence and enough information for readers to draw their own informed conclusions.

Has anything strange or mysterious ever happened to you?

Yes – quite a few strange things have happened to me. I’ve learnt to embrace the mysterious, accept it and use the experiences creatively. These private episodes are random and rare, but always welcome.  

Your books contain a variety of artefacts and primary source materials, like photographs, newspaper articles, investigation reports and more. How do you gather and store all that information and research for your writing?

I’m a history mystery detective. I collect information, clues and evidence. I keep files on the people in each story, newspaper accounts, photographs, research documents, maps and books about the subject that are valuable sources of knowledge. These are the tools that help me brush away the layers of time so my readers can walk undetected in the past.

Can you tell us a little about what you’re working on next?

I’m thrilled to be working on the next two books in the HISTORY HUNTER series. Each case file invites readers to delve into the unexplained and investigate extraordinary historical mysteries. 

Case File No. 3 is the story of a legendary jewel that has crossed oceans and continents, passing from thieves to commoners, kings, and queens. The sinister forces that lurk beneath its indigo surface are said to have origins in an ancient curse.

The fourth book in the History Hunter series is set in the Great Depression – when a hero was needed to lift the spirits of a nation. The call was answered by an underdog with unflinching courage, a tall poppy who refused to be defeated, a battler who defied the odds, and an icon whose glorious life sparked one of Australia’s greatest unresolved mysteries.

The truth is out there …

The Vanishing and The Dragon’s Treasure are out now! Ask for them at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS:

Take a sneak peek inside The Vanishing

Take a sneak peek inside The Dragon’s Treasure

Download the Teachers’ Notes for The Vanishing

Download the Teachers’ Notes for The Dragon’s Treasure

Create your own newspaper article and comic inspired by the books

Visit Mark Greenwood’s website for more about him and his books

Books 1 and 2 in the History Hunter series by Mark Greenwood
Posted in Book reviews by Gabriel, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Time Out!

Posted on by Alphabet Soup
Photo shows the cover of a children's novel: Time Out! by Eddie Woo and Jess Black and illustrated by Mitch Vane. The cover illustration features a giant question mark, and a boy in a red shirt holding a magnifying glass up to his eye.

REVIEWED BY GABRIEL, 11, NSW

Time Out! by Eddie Woo and Jess Black, illustrated by Mitch Vane, Pan Macmillan Australia, ISBN 9781760982997

The publisher provided a review copy of this book.

Searching for a new book to dive into over the holidays or when you are bored? Or figure you are a bit of a detective? Time Out! is a mystery novel by Eddie Woo & Jess Black. It is part of the Whodunnit? series currently containing two novels, the other one being Team Trouble. The main protagonist of the book is young Eddie Woo, a super sleuth and maths whizz. Together with his friends, Rusty and DT, they accidentally stumble across a treasure hunt created by Henry Cedric James in the 1880s. Even though their suburb of Red Hill is small there can still be an action-packed adventure. 

Henry was the founder of Red Hill and hand-built many public buildings like the Council school, lighthouse, old cathedrals, parks and many homes. In some of these locations he left hints and ciphers to where the next clue might be. It is rumoured that Henry worked at the Ballarat Goldfields before founding the new suburb. When he passed away, he left most of his gold hidden, rumoured to be at the end of the treasure hunt. But every good story needs an antagonist so, someone is going to take drastic measures to ensure Eddie doesn’t reach the end!

This is an awesome book including maths and instrumental talents. I rate this book 5 stars out of 5 as it has a good climax, resolution and includes maths to explain things.

Gabriel is a regular book reviewer at Alphabet Soup. You can read more of his reviews here. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!