Editor's note: This duplicate post is the result of a Blogger hiccup that led me to believe it deleted it, and then a burp which belched it back out again. I'm not a complete and total idiot. Blogger just has indigestion and I don't want to delete the count it has generated.
Book: Cora Flash and the Diamond of Madagascar
Author: Tommy Davy
Pages: 167
Format: Paperback, Kindle
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Book Source: Provided by
Novel Publicity Book Tours
Category: Youth Fiction (mystery)
Style: easy, approachable style, kid-friendly
Synopsis from GoodReads:
Eleven-year-old Cora Flash is ecstatic when she finally convinces her mom to let her take a train ride by herself to visit a relative in the mountains. Once on board, Cora meets a cast of intriguing characters, and stumbles upon her very own mystery: A valuable diamond has gone missing, and only one of her fellow travellers could have stolen it. It's up to our novice detective to solve the crime before the train reaches its destination—or the thief reaches Cora. This is the first book in the 'Cora Flash' series.
My Take:
Cora Flash engages, entertains, and connects, but Tommy Davy carefully avoids condescending to his audience. He manages to address concerns of parents over violence and language but still provides the sense of adventure kids are looking for. The mystery intrigues, the clues skillfully placed, the villain probably unexpected for a child, and the caper inventive and well-executed. He accomplishes all this, and a bit of peril to boot, while Cora (and the reader) stay safe and sound. While laws are broken, threats made, and plots discovered, Davey spurns the sinister and seamy.
