Um, um, sorry, but it is quite normal that a 11/12 year old doesn't have the full free rein of anything they want. Accompanied by Skye, a three-legged husky she sets out on an adventure to uncover the mysteries – including a message in a bottle - of Dead Man’s Cove. As for that, I found it hard to believe an eleven year old girl could be adopted by an estranged uncle she didn’t even know existed without actually meeting him first. Orphaned Laura is sent to live with her uncle in Cornwall, convinced that a life of adventure is hers at last. I liked the illustrations a lot and there are really nice descriptions of St Ives, but that was about it for me.

Accompanied by her trusty companion, Skye, a three-legged husky, the dog she’s always wanted, Laura’s adventures begin in this first captivating mystery. It's gripping, hugely entertaining and has something special about it - I just can't put my finger on it. All of the subjects, I thought, were kind of mature for a book written for ten-year-olds, but it was written in a very tasteful fashion meant for a younger audience. One day, Laura sees the housekeeper (who is really good at making cakes) looking through Calvin’s files and Laura starts to suspect something. Some of the characters were a bit stereotyped, but they were mostly minor characters, and the main characters were developed and rounded enough for this to be easily forgiven.

I liked the opening of the story, the chapter size (just the right length for a newly-fluent reader), the characters and the setting of St. This could definitely just be a taste thing, my mum loved it and I could see a child reader getting into it. What I want,” Laura declared, “is to have a life packed with excitement like some of the characters in my books. But this deadly quest will test her detective skills to the limit – and put her on a collision course with villains who will stop at nothing to get their own way.

I love the strong female character who would give any of her male counterparts a run for their money, and the supporting cast of characters add some humorous moments. Her new life in Cornwall proves more mysterious than she might have wished for, however, and Laura has to use all her powers of deduction to unravel the secrets surrounding Dead Man’s Cove. Further reading suggestion: You can read about another likeable young person who dreams of adventure and up ends solving a mystery in How Ali Ferguson Saved Houdini by Elen Caldecott, published July 2010. I also was troubled by the descriptions of the Mukhtars as stereotypes, and why was Atari’s constantly referred to as the Asian boy? A truly outstanding, totally enthralling mystery set in Cornwall, England, this is one of the very best children's mysteries I've ever read.Of course, we can’t ignore the fact that this is a children’s book – and with a main character aged 11, it is probably targetting 8-10 year olds as its main audience. The first half of the book goes along quite slowly as Laura adjusts to her new life and settings but when the mystery behind her uncle and new friend begin to unravel I found that I couldn't put the book down and was disappointed when it all ended with quite a sudden jolt. Even as a grown-up, I found it well written and exciting, so I'll definitely be looking out for the other books in the series, to read myself before passing them on to Sophie and Juliette. I think the book starts off well, telling of a girl from an orphanage being adopted by her mysterious and kind uncle. Lauren St John grew up surrounded by horses, cats, dogs, horses and a pet giraffe on a farm and game reserve in Zimbabwe, the inspiration for her bestselling White Giraffe and One Dollar Horse series.