Eye Spy: - Eye Spy series#1
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Ages: 8-11
Alex and Donna live in the seaside town of Holcombe Bay with their father, a reclusive inventor, and their nan, a school dinner lady. When they set up Eye Spy Investigations in an attempt to earn some money, they are soon on the trail of Kiki, a missing lap dog.
Before long, the twins have some interesting suspects: a bag lady; a mysterious man in a fur hat; and the bikers who hang out at the Starship Café. But as they pursue their enquiries, they discover a mystery in his own family and uncover a devastating family secret. As events spiral out of control, can Alex find out the truth about their mother, save Donna from imminent danger, and return Kiki to her rightful owner?
Aimed at 9-to-12-year olds, Eye Spy is more than just a straightforward mystery story; it is also a tale of family secrets and lies – and what happens when these are revealed
Reviews
I thoroughly enjoyed this contemporary adventure story. It combines a mystery tale - where is Kiki, the missing dog? - with a family drama of secrets and lies. The mystery thread has a touch of the Enid Blyton about it, with a brother and sister pluckily investigating what they perceive to be a crime. And the family drama is much more contemporary, inhabiting an emotional landscape that children of today will all recognise. Parents are often less than truthful with their offspring, thinking to protect them. But children know when things aren't right. And Alex and Donna know things aren't right.
For myself, taken back to the child detective novels of my childhood and in particular Enid Blyton's Famous Five, I really enjoyed main characters, twins Alex and Donna as did my two fellow readers who, not dissimilar in age, were excited at the thought of starting their own detective agency - one of the sure signs of a good book in my eyes is when readers are thus inspired, thankfully there was no mention of them wanting to learn how to play Poker or turn the school boiler room into a gambling den.
