Secret Agent Gadget Battle

                                                                Could Have Been Better

              When a urgent message from their mother arrives, warning siblings Nick and Tesla  of a  dangerous spy nearby, their already-chaotic world is thrown into even more disrepair. Being that their eccentric Uncle Newt couldn't catch a elephant if it walked in front of him, they will have to fend for themselves.  So, when mysterious strangers start showing up, the siblings' detective skills will be put to the test. In a world where nothing is what it seems to be, no one is who they say they are, and cameras are hidden everywhere. Can even the most brilliant sleuth succeed?

                This book is excellent reading for younger children. I would estimate the age range for this book at  6 - 10 years old. If the book's vocabulary and complexity were to be developed more, and the plot extended, the age range could be increased. I applaud the use of hands-on projects in the book, but I thought they could have been removed from between chapters  and put in an index instead. Every project is related to the plot of the chapter that preceded it, and while this is good for readers who intend to follow along with the book and do each chapter's project after reading the chapter, I thought it disrupted the story's flow.  I gave the book three stars for having great potential for further development, a good basic plot, and for attempting to educate readers through a entertaining story.

Constable and Toop

                                            A Supernatural Thriller

Sam is not your average boy. After all, what other eleven-year-old boy runs errands for ghosts that only he can see? Sam's gift does not always seem like a gift to him. When ghosts make Sam run through London all day completing their unfinished business, it most certainly feels like a curse. Then, the ghosts evaporate without a word of thanks, leaving Sam both disgruntled and exhausted. However, when ghosts start disappearing this triggers a chain reaction that looses a serial killer and a hellhound upon London. Sam must rise to the occasion and save both the ghostly world and the human world from a sinister menace.

                While a ghost, a boy, and a murderer may seem like completely unrelated things, in the hands of a talented author, anything can be made to seem related. By that definition, Gareth P. Jones is most certainly a talented author. He succeeds not only in making the above three things connect, but he also succeeds in running three parallel plots, each with its own main character: Sam, Tanner, and Lapsewood. The book plots the adventures of these three simultaneously while carefully leading the characters towards a junction at the end of the book. Transitions from subplot to subplot are seamless, while remaining obvious, so as not to confuse readers. The combination of action and intrigue keep readers motivated. Despite the excellent storyline, because some of the murder scenes can be a bit graphic, I would not suggest this book for readers under 12 years old. I gave it five stars for good plot and laudable writing.

The Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra

                                                         A Novel Idea

    Piloting starships is most definitely not a normal occupation for 12-year-old boys. However, for Tycho Hashoone, flying spaceships and privateering are all in a day's work. He and the entire Hashoone family are privateers who spend their lives commandeering Earth's cargo ships and ransoming cargo and crew, an illegal operation on Earth. That is why they joined the Jovian Union. The Jovian Union is an anti-Earth nation that is spread across Mars and the far reaches of the galaxy. However, when a mysterious diplomat appears on a dingy cargo ship, some eyebrows are raised. While this may not seem like much, the fact that the diplomat in question looks more like a thuggish pirate than an urbane peacemaker adds to the mystery. Soon, the Hashoone family is deeply entangled in a conspiracy that will plunge them into danger and refresh some old rivalries. Will they make it out in one piece?

      This book interested me from the start. I appreciated the mix of piratical and sci-fi elements. Although I have read other sci-fi pirate stories, I enjoyed the variety of character personalities in the story. I appreciated the mix of action and humor providing just the right tone to keep me reading. I liked the heavy intrigue that this story employed. The mysterious twists in the story kept the plot satisfyingly unpredictable. I would recommend this to anyone that likes action, adventure, and laser guns.