by Kereen Getten
SYNOPSIS
Uncover the secrets of the island in The Case of the Lighthouse Intruder the gripping first book in Kereen Getten’s thrilling new mystery series, Di Island Crew Investigates!
Fayson's dream of becoming a detective finally comes true when her cousins recruit her to their top-secret gang. But the Greatest Gang of All Time isn't exactly living up to their name, constantly side-tracked by food, sleep and squabbles. Determined to set things right, Fayson takes charge and dives into the mystery surrounding a mysterious shadow haunting the island's lighthouse.
With tensions rising within the gang, Fayson relies on her sharp smarts and inspiration from her favourite mystery novels to crack the case. Can she unravel the secrets, confront the shadow, and unite her friends?
REVIEW
Most of you will know that I am a Crime Fiction book blogger but since having my daughters I have also been reading and collecting children's and YA books for them in the hope that they will continue to love reading as much as I do as they get older. Obviously they can read whatever they choose to, but it is nice if there's a few books from my preferred genre in the mix!
The Case of the Lighthouse Intruder is the first in the Di Island Crew Investigates series which is set on an island off the coast of Jamaica. Fayson goes to stay with her cousins over the holidays and finds out that they want her help in solving a mystery.They know that she is a fan of detective stories and decide that she is the perfect choice to work out who the mystery person is who keeps appearing in the lighthouse. The group get together to solve the puzzle while at the same time navigating the typical friendship issues faced by kids of this age.
I love translated crime fiction from all over the world and I am really keen for my daughters to read books set in different places so that they can learn a little about different cultures at the same time. In this book, alongside the mystery that the kids are trying to solve, there is a secondary storyline which looks at class, the disparity between rich and poor people living in Jamaica and the attitudes towards Patwah being spoken. I have to admit that this isn't something I knew much about myself so I actually did a bit of research about it after finishing the story and this was really interesting for me to learn about too.
The storyline is the perfect combination of a fun mystery and more serious discussions. It's exactly the type of book I loved to read when I was younger. It was engaging, fast-paced and the characters were set up well for the other books to come in the series. Even though my daughter is a little young for the story right now, she was definitely drawn to the cover and asked me about the book, so I'm sure within the next year it will be added into our rotation. The cover design and little black and white illustrations scattered throughout the book were also really lovely.
This is the perfect choice for any budding young detectives and I'm certainly looking forward to finding out what the Island Crew have to solve next.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kereen Getten grew up in Jamaica where she would climb fruit trees in the family garden and eat as much mango, guinep and pear as she could without being caught. She now lives in Birmingham with her family and writes stories about her childhood experiences. Her debut novel When Life Gives You Mangoes, also published by Pushkin Children's, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the Spark Award, Warwickshire Junior Book Award and the Jhalak Children's & YA Prize.
Thanks to Pushkin Press - @PushkinPress and Kereen Getten @kereengetten for the opportunity to read and review.
Publisher: Pushkin Press Genre: Mystery / YA / Detective
ISBN: 978-1782693901
Pages: 224pp
Comentarios