Review: Thyme Running Out by Panama Oxridge

As the threat of the Thyme Curse closes in on Justin's family, his life is once again thrown into complete turmoil. Will he finally unmask Agent X and his spy? Has Evelyn Garnet stolen his wristwatch? What's making Eliza the gorilla act so aggressively? Why is Sir Willoughby planning a secret trip in the time machine? And where has Justin's sister, Robyn, mysteriously vanished to? Only Nanny Verity knows the truth - but can she be found before it's too late?

One of the first books I reviewed on The Book Zone back in October 2009 was Justin Thyme: The Tartan of Thyme by Panama Oxridge. At that point the book was out of print, and difficult to get your hands as it had been self-published by the author a few years earlier. Why did I review it? For two reasons: most importantly, because I loved it. Secondly, because I had spotted that its website had been taken offline with a promise of revamp, and I hoped that this could mean a sequel was due. In actual fact, new-to-the-scene publisher Inside Pocket had signed a deal with the author to publish that first book, which was released in October 2010. Now, five years on from the original release of Justin Thyme: The Tartan of Thyme, the sequel has been published.

Five years is a long time to wait for a sequel in the frantic world of modern children's publishing where most authors are expected to turn out at least one book a year, possibly even more. For example, when Darren Shan's new Zom-B series hits the book shops in 2012 the intention is to release one book every three months. Some of this is a financial thing - hook a child with a book, especially if it is written by a big name author, and they will come back for more. Make the time between releases too long and that child will have grown up another year or two and have moved on to the next big name author, the original story long forgotten. Panama Oxridge is not a big name author (although I believe he deserves to be), and so I hope that momentum can now be built and the two remaining books in the series will be released within a shorter period, giving these books the attention that they surely merit.

As you can probably tell already, my five year wait to read the sequel to The Tartan of Thyme was worth it. Admittedly it did take me a short while to get back into the story - I have read the original book several times, but time constraints these days mean that I was not able to refresh my memory prior to reading Thyme Running Out. By the end of the third chapter though, the characters of the family Thyme were like old friends, and as I progressed through the story there were enough references to the first book to have me feeling like I had only read it a couple of weeks ago.


Thyme Running Out picks up the story at a point soon after the close of its predecessor. The family are on a Mauritian island, ostensibly so that Lady Henny Thyme can make another of her world famous wildlife shows and establish a wildlife sanctuary. However, there is an ulterior motive to the trip: Justin is using his time machine to travel back in time to recover dodo egges with a view to bringing the species out of extinction and into the modern world. Not all is rosy though - friction is building between the increasingly rebellious Robyn Thyme and her mother, and Eliza, the tame, hyper-intelligent gorilla is becoming increasingly moody. Nanny Verity Kiss is still missing, presumed in hiding as she is still suspected of complicity in the kidnapping of Lady Henny.


Leaving Henny behind, the family return to Thyme Castle, and the mysteries that were set up in the first book begin to unfold again. Who is Agent X? Where is Nanny Verity Kiss? Is there a traitor living within Thyme Castle itself? So begins another richly layered mystery story laced with time travel adventure and humour, and yet again the stand out element of the story is its array of eccentric characters. Every one of them has a part to play in this story, even the minor ones who might only appear for a paragraph here and there in the story, and rarely is anyone exactly how they first appear.


Panama Oxridge never patronises his audience, nor does he relax his own obviously high standards of language and grammar in order to make the story an easier read. The vocabulary he uses throughout the book is occasionally complicated and the book is all the better for this. As Panama explained in an interview he did for The Book Zone last year: "Using interesting words is important to me.... Teachers often encourage their pupils to choose books that expand their vocabulary, but few young readers want to wade through a huge dictionary every time they happen upon an unfamiliar word. Therefore “Justin Thyme” briefly defines more than 450 of its most challenging words at the back of the book. This ensures no young reader need ever feel out of his or her depth." Thyme Running Out contains a similar mini-dictionary in the appendix, containing a few words that even this reader had to look up.


One of the unique points of this book are the clues that Panama hides throughout the story. If you have a 9+ mystery loving son (or daughter) who is a confident reader but has read all the books by the big name authors and is looking for something fresh and different then I cannot recommend this series highly enough - my godson will be receiving a copy for Christmas this year. Both books are available in beautiful hardcover editions, with the first now also available in a paperback edition. All editions include Panama's own illustrations littered throughout the book, some of them also acting as clues to the denouement.


My thanks go to Inside Pocket for generously providing me with a copy of Thyme Running Out, and also to Panama who very kindly sent me a copy of the paperback edition of Justin Thyme as my original review was quoted on the back cover.

*** Justin Thyme Competition Result

The lucky winner of the limited edition Justin Thyme bookmark in the presentation card illustrated by Panama Oxridge is:

Shannon


Well done and thank you to all of you who entered. I will now endeavour to contact the winner through by email. Please reply within 48 hours or I will draw another name out of the hat. Many thanks to Panama Oxridge for providing the prize.

*** Competition: WIN Signed/Doodled Copies of Justin Thyme and Thyme Running Out by Panama Oxridge

Today is the publication day for the paperback edition of Justin Thyme by Panama Oxridge, and as a way of celebrating Panama is running a very special competition where one lucky winner will win signed and doodled copies of Justin Thyme, and its soon-to-be-released sequel, Thyme Running Out. In order to win this special prize you will need to follow these simple instructions:

To celebrate the paperback release of JUSTIN THYME, the Tartan of Thyme Blog is running a competition with signed/doodled copies of both JUSTIN THYME and its forthcoming sequel THYME RUNNING OUT as the prize.

All readers have to do is visit the participating blogs, note down the letters and numbers on the Justin Thyme bookmarks (see photo below, please click on it for a larger view), then rearrange the letters in numerical order. This spells a secret message (Justin’s description of himself). Visit the TOT blog to find links to all participating blogs, and to email your answer. The competition will close on September 7th, when a winner (picked at random from the correct entries) will be announced. You can find the Tartan of Thyme Blog at http://tartanofthyme.blogspot.com/

 

Readers of The Book Zone can also win one of these very limited edition bookmarks, which comes in a presentation card made by Panama, by completing the form below by 8pm GMT on September 7th (this part of the competition is open worldwide).

Bookmark contest open worldwide.
Neither the publisher or I will not be held responsible for items lost in the mail.
I hold the right to end a contest before its original deadline without any prior notice.
I hold the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit.
I will contact winning entrants for their postal address following the close of the competition. Winners have 48 hours to reply. Failure to do so in this time will result in another winner being randomly selected.

News: Thyme Running Out by Panama Oxridge (Tartan of Thyme Book 2)

These days, five years is a long time to wait for a sequel to a first-in-series book, but that is almost how long I have been waiting for the second book in Panama Oxridge's Tartan of Thyme series. I loved book one, titled Justin Thyme, and it became one of the first books I reviewed on The Book Zone back in October 2009. At the time it was out of print, but along came the wonderful people at Inside Pocket who thankfully managed to persuade Panama to let them publish it, and just a few hours ago Panama announced on his blog that the sequel, Thyme Running Out, will be published on 1st October this year - hurrah! I have put this date in my diary as for me this is one of the most exciting publishing moments of the year. As with the Inside Pocket edition of Justin Thyme, there will be a special launch at the Cotswold Bookstore where you will be able to buy signed copies of the book so keep an eye out on Panama's blog for more information about this coming soon. In the meantime , here is the front cover as illustrated by the Panama:

*** Justin Thyme Contest Result

Sorry about the delay in announcing this - it has been a stupidly busy week. The lucky winner of a copy of the signed/doodled first edition of Justin Thyme is:

Danielle Smithe

Well done and thank you to the hundreds of you who entered. I will now endeavour to contact the winner through by email. Please reply within 48 hours or I will draw another name out of the hat. Many thanks to Panama Oxridge for providing the prize.

(Note: all names were drawn randomly using a nifty little freeware programme called The Hat)

*** Contest: WIN a Signed/Doodled First Edition of Justin Thyme by Panama Oxridge

I have given away some great book prizes over the past year but this is by far the best one to date. As many of you will know, Justin Thyme by Panama Oxridge has recently been published by Inside Pocket, however it was first self-published by Panama in 2006. The first print run was a mere 1200 copies, and these sold out pretty quickly. Thanks to the generosity of Panama Oxridge I have one of those 1200 sat on my desk next to me ready to go to one very lucky winner.

And there is more.... the book has been signed AND doodled WITH colour by Panama to make this an even more special and highly collectible prize:

And..... this contest is going to be open worldwide - it doesn't matter where you live you can enter.

In order to be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize you have to do the following:

• Fill in the contest form below, answering the (relatively) simple questions by the closing date of 8pm Saturday 30th October.

• And that's it. However, if you also 'Like' the new Book Zone Facebook Page then that will get you a double entry into the contest.

Good luck to everyone!



Terms and conditions

Contest open to entrants worldwide.

I will not be held responsible for items lost in the mail.
I hold the right to end a contest before its original deadline without any prior notice.
I hold the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit.

I will contact winning entrants for their postal address following the close of the competition. Winners have 48 hours to reply. Failure to do so in this time will result in another winner being randomly selected.

*** Interview with Panama Oxridge (author of Justin Thyme)

Long time readers of The Book Zone will know that I have long been a fan of a book called Justin Thyme: The Tartan of Thyme by Panama Oxridge. This books was first released a few years ago with a fairly small print run, meaning that it didn't get the chance of the wider readership that it so deserved. Recently the book has been republished by Inside Pocket, and is now widely available (and hopefully being widely bought). I was really flattered when Panama Oxridge contacted me out of the blue with some really nice comments about this blog, and then really chuffed when Panama consented to take part in an interview. Please also watch this space as on Friday, the first birthday of The Book Zone, I will be announcing a very very special Justin Thyme related competition, with an amazing prize donated by Panama.

How would you describe your book Justin Thyme to potential readers?

The first part of an interactive time-travel whodunit series aimed at readers aged nine and above.

What was the original inspiration for Justin Thyme?

Having gained a reputation for creating complex picture-puzzle books, I’d long toyed with the idea of doing something similar but with a novel, hiding clues in the text rather than the illustrations. However, the right “vehicle” for this idea hadn’t presented itself. Then, one day, a documentary about the 9/11 disaster, (which mentioned how a man returned an unwanted gift that morning and so escaped), led to a discussion about family history, in which I discovered ancestors whose lives had altered dramatically as a result of the most insignificant decisions.

Shortly afterwards, Justin stepped into in my mind and started explaining his own theory about the random influence of Chance, the orderly nature of Time, and how the two are inseparably linked – Tartan Theory. He later showed me around his ancestral home, as well as introducing me to his eccentric family – and I knew, at once, I’d found the project I’d been searching for.

Am I right in thinking you have planned this to be the first book of a four-part series? If so, did you plan the complete story arc when you wrote the first book?

Yes. Time travel plots tend to be non-linear. Therefore before writing a single word of the first book, not only did I plan a complete story-arc in meticulous detail, but I also wanted a thorough knowledge of events both before and afterwards. So, although the story I’m telling takes place during the summer Justin turns thirteen, I got to know five generations of the Thyme family (and friends) and plotted out their interlocking lives over more than 100 years. This means that while I can complete my initial story-arc in four books, I know what happens next should I wish to continue. Even if this in-depth material is never shared with readers, it’s still very valuable to me, as it enables me to write the characters from a thoroughly informed standpoint. I really know what makes each of them tick.

Can you tell us more about the hidden clues contained within the book?

Mmm ... part of me wants to say: Hidden clues? What hidden clues? Primarily, JT is a novel, and can be enjoyed on that level alone. Traditional clues are seeded throughout the narrative, so that all readers can solve the mystery in the usual way.

However, I also wanted to offer something different – something that would allow readers, to become detectives themselves, should they so choose. Therefore, I hid a variety of cryptic clues and secret messages, which, if found and solved, might enable them to identify the “whodunit” ahead of Justin. (Most people seem to read the story right through first, then re-read it, specifically looking for the hidden elements). Concealed clues vary from overtly obvious to deviously difficult, so they work on one level for younger readers, whilst remaining sufficiently challenging for adults. (Interestingly, with sharp eyes and open minds, kids are often better at spotting clues than many grown-ups!)

Not all the hidden clues are specific to book one; some hint at future plot developments in the series. Again, these vary in complexity; the easiest offering tantalizing possibilities, whilst the more complex might reveal surprising secrets. Of course, some readers will be content to let the story gradually unfold – but for others, these hidden elements are like secret bonus levels in a game; not essential, but well worth the extra effort!

How did you manage to keep track of the hidden clues and the time travel elements?

Exhaustive notes! I have a bulging ring-file, two box-files, several hand-written notebooks, charts, drawings, timelines, calendars, and hundreds of pages of typed characters notes. I also have an annotated copy of JT itemizing every hidden clue in book one, all colour-coded to remind me which book in the series they point to.

You have created some great characters in the book. Do you have a favourite?

Really that’s a bit like asking if someone has a favourite child. Judging from reader feedback, the most popular characters seem to be either Eliza, a gorilla who can communicate using a computer, or Mrs Kof, a cook of ambiguous gender with a knack for malapropisms. As much as I adore these two, and have a lot in common with Justin, it’s his father, Sir Willoughby, Laird of Thyme, who interests me the most.

It is no secret that Panama Oxridge is not your real name. Why did you choose to publish the book under a pseudonym?

Using a pseudonym was partly to distance myself from my previous picture-book persona – partly because (like Justin), I’ve never liked my name – but mostly because I think it helps the reader connect with the story. How? Well, whenever I read a book I always hear the author’s voice in my head; obviously not their real voice – but an impression based on their writing-style, vocabulary and humour. If that voice is vivid enough, I might even “see” the person telling me the story – and their name often helps contribute to that image. But if I find the author’s photo or learn too much about them, that image and voice may be affected – sometimes destroyed. My enjoyment of the book suffers because I’ve lost my personal storyteller.

With JT, I wanted to provide readers with an ambiguous name and a hidden face, allowing them to form their own imaginary narrator. It’s quite fascinating how many people make immediate assumptions about gender based on little verifiable evidence (something I demonstrate in JT).

You are also the illustrator of the book. How rewarding was this for you?

Normally, most publishers give an author no say in their book’s design. In some respects I envy writers who send their manuscripts off and wait to see how the cover art and illustrations turn out. That must make their first glimpse of the finished book very exciting. However, although there are no wonderful surprises when you do the artwork yourself, there are no unpleasant shocks either. There’s nothing worse than seeing your imaginary world reinvented by someone who sees it very differently. From then on, readers’ interpretations will, inevitably, be influenced by flawed visuals. But when a writer illustrates their own work, readers get an accurate representation of the author’s true internal vision. That being said, most of the illustrations in JT are of things: letters, scraps of newspaper, Justin’s watch etc – I wanted readers to imagine the characters for themselves.

Did you create the illustrations as you progressed or do them once you had finished the writing?

Nearly all the illustrations are roughed-out as I write each chapter. Once the first draft of the story is complete, I redo the pictures properly before redrafting, although I may also make further amendments when finalising the layout. Only once the final draft is complete, can I create the full wraparound design of the dust-jacket (implanting any clues).

The way you have illustrated the title of the book is pretty special. Can you tell us something about ambigrams?

I discovered ambigrams several years ago, and the concept instantly appealed to me as an illustrator. For those who don’t already know, an ambigram is a word or phrase that can be read from two different angles, (ambi = both, gram = word). While designing JT, I realised this would perfectly convey how the mystery can be solved in two different ways. I also wanted to custom design a watch that Justin, (who, like me, never wears one), would be unable to resist. However, turning his name into an ambigram was a major challenge, especially as one word has six letters, the other, five!

Can you give us any hints as to what we can expect from your next book in the series and when it might be published?

Not long to wait! If all goes according to plan, book two in the series: “????? - ??????? - ???” will be published autumn 2011. The story begins two weeks after “Justin Thyme” ended, or three hundred and forty-one years before it started, depending on your point of view. All the original characters return – plus one or two new ones. It’s almost impossible to give any hints about book two without creating spoilers for book one … but I’ll reveal a few chapter titles, and let readers of JT draw their own conclusions: “Card Tricks” – “Kof Drops” – “Eliza Goes Bananas” – “Back in Thyme” – and “Memento Mori”.

Which books/authors did you enjoy reading as a child/teenager? How do you think they compare to the children’s/YA novels available today?

Generally, in terms of quality and variety, modern children’s novels are light-years ahead of almost anything from my childhood. However, I think picture-book art has become stylistically bland and samey. My earliest book memories are of Beatrix Potter. Her whimsical work certainly influenced my desire to illustrate – and our lives have had several parallels. “Winnie the Pooh” and “Paddington Bear” were a big part of my childhood; I loved their humour. The “Borrowers” books by Mary Norton were also firm favourites. I don’t recall any books for teens. At the age of eleven I began reading adult’s books: Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh started my fondness of whodunits, PG Wodehouse for humour, and Gerald Durrell, particularly “My Family and Other Animals” (which I’ve probably re-read every year since), for eccentric characters.

If you could time travel when/where would you go to and why?

Oddly enough, I’d rather stay at home. If there’s one thing Justin has taught me, it’s that time travel is not only risky, but can cause more problems than it solves. I’m not even a fan of travelling through the three standard dimensions of space, (I don’t have a car). I’m one of those stereotypical authors who prefer staying safely at home whilst sending their imaginary characters off on adventures. And who needs a time machine when you have books; reading can take me to every corner of the globe in the past, present or future ... and all without leaving my armchair!

If there is one question you would love an interviewer to ask you about your work, what is it? And what would the answer be?

Using interesting words is important to me, so, I guess I’d like to be asked about the mini-dictionary I’ve included in JT. Teachers often encourage their pupils to choose books that expand their vocabulary, but few young readers want to wade through a huge dictionary every time they happen upon an unfamiliar word. Therefore “Justin Thyme” briefly defines more than 450 of its most challenging words at the back of the book. This ensures no young reader need ever feel out of his or her depth. Feedback from teachers, librarians and home-schoolers has been very positive, and this is something I hope to continue throughout the series.

Is there anything else you would like to say to readers of this blog?

Thank you, Book Zone, for such interesting questions – and, if you’ve just read this interview, I thank you too; after all, that’s five minutes of your life you’re never getting back!

~~~~

And a huge thanks to Panama for such detailed answers, especially when I know you have been feeling a little flu-ey recently. I am sure all of my readers will join me in wishing you a speedy recovery.

As mentioned previously.... come back on Friday for my first birthday competition announcement.

Exciting Book Zone 1st Birthday News

The Book Zone (For Boys) was born on 22nd October 2009. By my reckoning 'my' first birthday is therefore just under a fortnight away. To celebrate, on that day I will be launching a book giveaway contest. Yes, I know I have run a lot of these throughout the past year, but as far as prizes go (and thanks to the extreme generosity of one particular author) this is by far the most amazing so far. That's all I am going to say right now, but the image accompanying this post is a small hint as to what that prize may be. Rest assured, book fans, you will not be disappointed.

Justin Thyme by Panama Oxridge

Back in October 2009 I started writing this blog, with the intention of raising awareness of the wealth of boy-friendly books that are on the market. At the time I started off by reviewing some of my favourites, both past and present, never thinking for one moment that within a few months I would be receiving books directly from publishers.

The fifth book I reviewed was Justin Thyme by Panama Oxrdige. At the time it was out of print, having been self-published some years earlier, but a sudden change in the book's website filled me with hope that it may soon be re-released so that more people could have the pleasure of reading it. I am delighted to say that my wish has now come true and fledgling publisher Inside Pocket are about to release it. Justin Thyme has an official release date of 4th October according to Amazon, but said online outlet already has copies available.

How's this for a cracking synopsis?

Justin Thyme is a self-made billionaire living in a castle overlooking Loch Ness. The day he turns thirteen, he receives an anonymous gift: a fabulous watch with a puzzling message hidden on it. When he tells his father of his plans to build a time machine, the Laird of Thyme reveals tantalising fragments of past espionage and warns his son of a ruthless enemy keeping him under constant surveillance. At first, Justin fails to take Sir Willoughby seriously, but when a stranger arrives claiming to be his long-lost grandfather, Justin is wary - especially after his beloved Nanny insists the old man is an impostor.

Justin's TV celebrity mother departs on a Congo expedition with her eccentric film crew and Eliza, a computer-literate gorilla. Whilst returning, Lady Henny is abducted, and clues prove that the kidnapper has inside information; someone in Thyme Castle must be a spy - or possibly Sir Willoughby's old enemy in disguise. Everyone is under suspicion: Justin's nervy tutor; their snooping housekeeper; the theatrical gardener; an ex-royal butler; and Mrs Kof, their freakishly strong cook.

Suddenly, the race against time is on. Can Justin convert his vintage motorbike into a time machine, rescue his mum and discover the identity of their resident spy in less than a week...or will the dreaded Thyme Curse claim another life?

This really is a must-buy book. If you want to see my original review you can read it here. Please be gentle though as this was in the early days of the blog and I like to think I have grown as a reviewer since those early days lol.

You will also see in my original review that I have been patiently awaiting the sequel to Justin Thyme. A few months ago I received an email from Panama Oxridge, who had discovered The Book Zone whilst googling for a review of a book that Panama was interested in reading. In this email I was reliably informed that the sequel would be on its way once the first book in the series had been published, and now Panama's great Justin Thyme website is stating that it should be available in Autumn 2011. Great news! I've waited this long - what's one more year? Panama has also launched a couple of blogs that are well worth a visit: The Tartan of Thyme Blog where you can find out about the book's official launch, and the rather more whimsical Eliza's Banana Blog.

All I can say is good luck Panama and Inside Pocket - a full print run of this book has been too long overdue and it is great to see it finally available to the masses.

Review: Justin Thyme: The Tartan of Thyme by Panama Oxridge

First published in 2006 this book quickly developed something of a cult following, fuelled further by the fact that (incredibly) it is currently out-of-print. At the time, fans were heralding Panama Oxridge as the new JK Rowling (in fact, some even initially suggested that Panama Oxridge was actually JK Rowling using a pseudonym). Then it emerged that he was in fact "a well-known and successful author of picture-puzzle books". To my knowledge, Oxridge's real name has still not been published?? There is, however, a rather interesting interview with the author here.

So..... if the book is out-of-print why am I reviewing it now? Well, hopefully it will be back in print very soon. Originally it was self-published by the author with rumours of interest from some of the big name publishers, but nothing came of them. Over the last few years I have been a occasional visitor to the Justin Thyme website and just this morning discovered that it is currently undergoing work, with promises of a new website in November! Is it too optimisitc of me to start thinking that this means the sequel is soon to be published (we were originally promised a series of four books)? And if the sequel is finally written, will the first book in the series be back in print very soon? Watch this space!!!

So.... firstly the book synopsis:

Justin Thyme is a self-made billionaire living in a castle overlooking Loch Ness. The day he turns thirteen, he receives an anonymous gift: a fabulous watch with a puzzling message hidden on it. When he tells his father of his plans to build a time machine, the Laird of Thyme reveals tantalising fragments of past espionage and warns his son of a ruthless enemy keeping him under constant surveillance. At first, Justin fails to take Sir Willoughby seriously, but when a stranger arrives claiming to be his long-lost grandfather, Justin is wary – especially after his beloved Nanny insists the old man is an impostor.

Justin’s TV celebrity mother departs on a Congo expedition with her eccentric film crew and Eliza, a computer-literate gorilla. Whilst returning, Lady Henny is abducted, and clues prove that the kidnapper has inside information; someone in Thyme Castle must be a spy – or possibly Sir Willoughby’s old enemy in disguise. Everyone is under suspicion: Justin’s nervy tutor; their snooping housekeeper; the theatrical gardener; an ex-royal butler; and Mrs Kof, their freakishly strong cook.

Suddenly, the race against time is on. Can Justin convert his vintage motorbike into a time machine, rescue his mum and discover the identity of their resident spy in less than a week ... or will the dreaded Thyme Curse claim another life?

Firstly, the packagaing - the tartan cover of this book looks stunning, as do the various illustrations throughout. The title is written in the form of an ambigram, a word or image that can be 'read' not only in its form as presented, but also from another viewpoint, direction, or orientation (and used to great effect by Dan Brown in his Angels and Demons novel).

I was hooked from the first chapter of this amazing book. It really is one of those books you just can't put down! Set in a Scottish castle, the story revolves around a complex whodunit mystery that should appeal to adult fans of the genre, as well as the targeted younger readers.

On top of a highly original and well constructed story, Panama Oxridge has also created a wealth of eccentric and well-developed characters with such detail that they really come alive as you read, and keep you chuckling throughout. A computer literate gorilla? Who goes online to chat up boys? Panama Oxridge you are a genius! But despite these vivid descriptions of the characters, unlike the Tom Scatterhorn books this does not ever cause you to feel that the narrative is moving on too slowly. The pace is spot on throughout the whole book and you will be kept guessing until the very end.

A warning though - once you have finished this book you may just want to read it all over again right away. I spent a good part of the first half of the book flicking back through the pages to look for missed clues, etc. I soon realised that this could be a ridiculously time-consuming task so therefore made the decision that I would read it again in order to make more of an effort to spot the cryptic clues (illustrated and written) that appear to be littered throughout the book. I did manage to restrain myself from writing notes in the margins as I went along though!

Overall I cannot recommend this book enough - it really is THAT good. If it is ever published by someone who will give it a decent sized print-run then I can see it becoming a favourite of young readers across the country.