A Review By Frances

This book has been selected by Warwickshire School Library Services as one of the stories for children to read for an author prize.  This book appealed to me because it is set in St Ives in Cornwall, where we recently took a holiday.  It is a lovely depiction of this old Cornish fishing village which is also favoured by artists and now by holidaymakers as well.

Thirteen year old Laura has been in care all her life.  She has been fostered by various families with little success, and the nearest she has to a home is the orphanage, Sylvan Meadows, where she always returns after each rejection by a foster family.  Suddenly it is discovered that her mother had a brother, and the brother is alive and well and living in Cornwall.  What is more, he is eager to adopt the niece  he knew nothing about until recently, so Laura is sent off to St Ives to live with Calvin Redfern.

Life with Calvin Redfern is completely different from anything Laura has experienced before – she is treated as a responsible person and gets on well with her uncle.  She is not so lucky with his housekeeper, Mrs Webb, but ever an optimist, Laura does not allow this to spoil things.  She also makes friends with the mysterious Tariq who lives with his aunt and Uncle, the local shopkeepers, and with Erin who works in one of the beach cafes.

 As she settles in to life in St Ives, the curious Laura starts to wonder about her Uncle’s mysterious work, which keeps him away from home so much and about the strange and obviously strained relationship between Tariq and his guardians.

 This book is very different in atmosphere from the already popular “White Giraffe” quartet.  It is a story full of mysteries, and Laura is the sort of girl to get to the bottom of things and not allow herself to be easily put off .  It is the start of a series, and I agree with the cover statement – it will certainly appeal to fans of Enid Blyton – especially the Famous Five and Secret Seven stories . suitable for age 9 and upwards.