Review: I Spy: The Constantinople Caper by Graham Marks

Trey is thrilled to be accompanying his father, influential Chicago businessman T Drummond MacIntyre II, on a trip to Constantinople. Armed with a suitcase packed full of his favorite tales of super-sleuths and daring detectives, Trey can't wait for his holiday to begin. So imagine his excitement when, as father and son board the Orient Express, Trey thinks they are being followed by a mysterious stranger. Surely Trey's been reading one too many spy capers? However, as they make the journey across Europe, Trey's father appears distant and evasive. Is he simply busy with work, or is something more untoward happening? When T Drummond MacIntyre II goes missing, Trey is plunged into the secretive and dangerous world of 1920s espionage, trawling the chaotic streets of Constantinople in search of his father's whereabouts. But while Trey has always dreamed about being a spy, nothing can prepare him for the breathtaking escapades that await him in this exotic and enticing city.

The publishers have touted this as a cross between "James Bond and Indiana Jones", but to be honest there is less of the James Bond and more of the Bulldog Drummond in this story In fact, Trey's middle name of Drummond may even be a small tribute to the character created by Sapper back in the 1920s. As for the Indiana Jones comment? Think more "Young Indiana Jones" than the adult incarnation.

I found this to be a hugely enjoyable read, with a fast-paced story and a number of engaging characters who appear once Trey reaches Constantinople. Some reviewers have criticised the journey to Istanbul on the Orient Express, and Trey and his father's stop-off in Venice, as being a little superfluous to the overall story. However, Trey is just an ordinary boy with a love of pulp detective magazines, and I feel the journey makes the reader wonder whether Trey is actually being followed or is this just a product of an over-active imagination?

Once the action hots up in Constantinople Marks steers clear of the unbelieveable - everything that happens to Trey could happen to a normal boy caught up in events he doesn't really understand. All of the action scenes are perfectly plausible and made more real by the author's use of real-life characters (such as pilot Mario de Bernardi) and his descriptions of exotic 1920s Constantinople.

I have just one small criticism of this book. The first part of the book is written solely from Trey's point of view. However, half way through, following a key event in the story, this suddenly changes and there are then various viewpoints for the rest of the book. I cannot imagine an author of adult books 'getting away' with this so it shouldn't really happen in books for younger readers either.

Overall, this book may not have the complexity of many adult spy novels, but it is certainly an entertaining read for boys, and would be a great book for boys to read with their dads.

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.

TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow

Just had a Tweet about a new book series coming in the new year - TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow. I have read a number of Scarrow's adult novels and , just as with James Rollins, his YA books should be fantastic. The concept for TimeRiders is great:

Liam O’Connor should have died at sea in 1912. Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2029. Yet moments before death, someone mysteriously appeared and said, ‘Take my hand . . .’ But Liam, Maddy and Sal aren’t rescued. They are recruited by an agency that no one knows exists, with only one purpose – to fix broken history. Because time travel is here, and there are those who would go back in time and change the past. That’s why the TimeRiders exist: to protect us. To stop time travel from destroying the world . . .

Sure to be a massive hit with the boys at school, but we'll just have to wait until February to get our hands on it.

edit: Just watched the youtube trailer with some of the boys at school - now even more excited!