Raven Lucas 3: Chinese Whispers by Christine Harris

 

A bullet smashes through the glass wall and splinters a hole in the desk above me. Death, in the shape of a small piece of metal, is looking for me.

I curl my arms protectively around my head.

The carpet is rough against my cheek.

Another bullet shatters glass.

Then, suddenly, unexpectedly, the noise stops.

It could be a trick. That gunman could still be out there. I imagine him squinting through a rifle sight, finger ready to pull the trigger.

Who is he?

I’m nobody. Just a fourteen-year-old girl who likes running and photography and who thinks Justin Bieber sounds like a girl.

Cold air blows in through the smashed glass wall of the office.

Twenty-one storeys is a long way off the ground. The fall doesn’t actually kill you. It’s the speed of the stop.

<a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781862919297&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>Chinese Whispers</a> is the third and apparently final instalment of the Raven Lucas trilogy. In this instalment, Raven and her friends go to Malaysia to fill in for her father at the opening of a new resort complex. They are also in search of clues about the disappearance of Raven’s father. Raven hardly has time, or the emotional space, to appreciate the environment or culture. She’s trying to find her father. She is convinced he is alive and not guilty of any of the crimes he’s suspected to have committed. Her challenge is to decide just who she can trust and who, close to her, is dangerous. She also has to escape the watchful eye of Rita, her chaperone. There are shadows, night-time visitors and adventures at sea before Raven can think about returning home.

Exotic settings, shadowy characters, twists and turns – <a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781862919297&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>Chinese Whispers</a> is an action-packed thriller. Raven Lucas is a feisty character motivated by a deep belief in her father and a determination to discover what’s happened to him. She has to consider that she might not like what she finds – both in terms of what he’s been doing and whether or not he is still alive. She is resourceful, observant and quick-thinking. She is fortunate to be independently wealthy and therefore able to follow leads internationally. Her friends display disparate talents, and are resolute in their support of Raven, even when they’re not sure what’s she’s doing. Readers must make their own judgements about who to trust, just as Raven does. Fabulous to see a crime thriller trilogy amongst all the fantasy and spec fiction. Recommended for lower secondary readers.

Chinese Whispers (Raven Lucas)

Raven Lucas 3: <a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781862919297&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>Chinese Whispers</a> Christine Harris Scholastic 2013 ISBN: 9781862919297

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

 

Available from good bookstores or <a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781862919297&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>online</a>.

Raven Lucas 1: Missing by Christine Harris

‘Raven Lucas 1: Missing’ opens as Raven thinks she sees her father. Her father who just days ago vanished without a trace, without explanation. Her fragile mother is griefstricken, her father’s partner is too helpful, and her little brother is too young to be much help.

Raven’s heart jumped. She felt her face flame. Her eyes were glued to the felt hat and black coat worn by a man walking in the opposite direction. the footpath was crowded and Raven, standing still, was jostled in the seething flow of people rushing for trains or buses and the warmth of their homes.

Someone’s bag knocked her leg, snapping her out of her shocked paralysis. She stood on tip-toe, dodging left then right.

A hand grabbed her arm.

‘Raven Lucas 1: Missing ’ opens as Raven thinks she sees her father. Her father who just days ago vanished without a trace, without explanation. Her fragile mother is griefstricken, her father’s partner is too helpful, and her little brother is too young to be much help. There seem to be no clues, and plenty of rumours. Raven will not believe her father is dead, or that he’s done anything wrong. The more she investigates, the more confused she becomes. She discovers that she didn’t know her father as well as she thought she did. And she also realises that it may not be as easy as she thinks to know who to trust.

‘Raven Lucas 1: Missing ’ is the first instalment in a new mystery series from Christine Harris. Raven is a feisty, inquisitive, questioning main character. She’s also in pain, yearning for her loved father. Her world is spinning and nothing she once was sure of can now be relied on. Until now, she’s been secure in the wealth and support of her family and friends. But she now realises just how fragile that security has been, and how little she knows about her own family. She is far from helpless or hopeless, however, and determines to discover for herself just what’s going on. This is a fast-paced, action adventure with short chapters and mysteries around every corner. Recommended for upper-primary and lower-secondary readers.

Missing (Raven Lucas)

Raven Lucas 1: Missing , Christine Harris

Omnibus Books 2012 ISBN: 9781862919341

 

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Avaialable from good bookstores or online .

Raven Lucas 2: Dead Wrong by Christine Harris

Raven felt her mum’s hand quivering in hers.

‘I can’t do it,’ whispered Mum. ‘I just … can’t.’ She had lost weight recently and it made her eyes look huge.

‘It’s okay,’ said Raven. ‘I don’t mind going. It’s doing something for Dad.’

Actually, she did mind. Not because she was standing in for Mum, but because Gerald Rooney, her dad’s business partner, had pressured them. Her stomach knotted at the idea of having to smile and talk to people she didn’t know.

As though nothing was wrong.

It was becoming harder to pretend that Dad was only running late. That he’d turn up any minute with a laughing apology. Since he had disappeared there was a huge silence in their lives. The music had gone. The colour. The breath.

Raven felt her mum’s hand quivering in hers.

‘I can’t do it,’ whispered Mum. ‘I just … can’t.’ She had lost weight recently and it made her eyes look huge.

‘It’s okay,’ said Raven. ‘I don’t mind going. It’s doing something for Dad.’

Actually, she did mind. Not because she was standing in for Mum, but because Gerald Rooney, her dad’s business partner, had pressured them. Her stomach knotted at the idea of having to smile and talk to people she didn’t know.

As though nothing was wrong.

It was becoming harder to pretend that Dad was only running late. That he’d turn up any minute with a laughing apology. Since he had disappeared there was a huge silence in their lives. The music had gone. The colour. The breath.

Raven’s dad went missing in Raven Lucas 1. It was the worst thing to happen in Raven’s world. But things are getting worse. Many people are trying to find him, besides the police who think he is responsible for several crimes. And many of those people think Raven knows where he is. Raven’s mum is still unstable, her brother is too young to help and her father’s business partner seems to have taken it upon himself to act in loco parentis. Raven is running. Running to stay ahead of the game, running to stay ahead of people prepared to do almost anything to find out where her dad is. And if she’s going to beat them to it, she’s going to have to up her pace.

Dead Wrong continues the twisting and turning of the first novel in this series. Raven is wealthy and smart, sassy and inventive. Time alone will tell if this is going to be enough to find out what’s going on. But she refuses to believe the worst about her father, just because others say so. She firmly believes in her father, just as she slips into the role of protector of her remaining family. But it’s not always easy to be sure who to trust. She has supportive friends but she’s reluctant to bring them into her troubled world. In many ways, she is on her own. A riveting mystery thriller for mid- to upper secondary-readers. Watch out for the third and perhaps final instalment in the Raven Lucas series.

Dead Wrong (Raven Lucas)

Dead Wrong (Raven Lucas), Christine Harris
Omnibus Books 2012
ISBN: 9781862919280

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Avaialble online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Raven Lucas 1: Missing by Christine Harris

‘Raven Lucas 1: Missing’ opens as Raven thinks she sees her father. Her father who just days ago vanished without a trace, without explanation. Her fragile mother is griefstricken, her father’s partner is too helpful, and her little brother is too young to be much help.

Raven’s heart jumped. She felt her face flame. Her eyes were glued to the felt hat and black coat worn by a man walking in the opposite direction. the footpath was crowded and Raven, standing still, was jostled in the seething flow of people rushing for trains or buses and the warmth of their homes.

Someone’s bag knocked her leg, snapping her out of her shocked paralysis. She stood on tip-toe, dodging left then right.

A hand grabbed her arm.

Missing opens as Raven thinks she sees her father. Her father who just days ago vanished without a trace, without explanation. Her fragile mother is griefstricken, her father’s partner is too helpful, and her little brother is too young to be much help. There seem to be no clues, and plenty of rumours. Raven will not believe her father is dead, or that he’s done anything wrong. The more she investigates, the more confused she becomes. She discovers that she didn’t know her father as well as she thought she did. And she also realises that it may not be as easy as she thinks to know who to trust.

Missing is the first instalment in a new mystery series from Christine Harris. Raven is a feisty, inquisitive, questioning main character. She’s also in pain, yearning for her loved father. Her world is spinning and nothing she once was sure of can now be relied on. Until now, she’s been secure in the wealth and support of her family and friends. But she now realises just how fragile that security has been, and how little she knows about her own family. She is far from helpless or hopeless, however, and determines to discover for herself just what’s going on. This is a fast-paced, action adventure with short chapters and mysteries around every corner. Recommended for upper-primary and lower-secondary readers.

Missing (Raven Lucas)

Missing (Raven Lucas), Christine Harris
Omnibus Books 2012
ISBN: 9781862919341

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Audrey Goes to Town, by Christine Harris

Audrey Barlow bounced as the wheels of the wooden cart hit a pothole. Although the floor was padded with blankets and what was left in the food bags, each bump jarred Audrey and her brothers.
Douglas fell sideways, giggling. He was only three, so he giggled at nearly everything.
‘Sesiting, isn’t it?’ said Audrey.

Audrey has never been to town, and she can’t wait to get there. There will be houses and trains and even cars. But she isn’t so sure about staying with Mrs Paterson, a strict old lady who looks like a burnt stick. When Dad and Price go off dogging, the rest of the family must board with Mrs Price. Then Mum falls ill and Audrey and her little brother Dougie are alone with Mrs Paterson.

Mrs Paterson’s project is to try to turn Audrey into a lady – and Audrey’s project becomes finding something good about Mrs Paterson. Fortunately, Audrey has new friends to make her life easier.

Audrey Goes to Town is a funny tale of outback life. Audrey is a likeable main character – honest and with a humorous take on life, she is also compassionate. Even the dour Mrs Paterson can’t help but like her, even if it takes time.

A sequel to Audrey of the Outback, this story stands alone, likely to be equally as enjoyable to a reader new to the series.

Lots of fun.

Audrey Goes to Town

Audrey Goes to Town, by Christine Harris
Little Hare, 2008

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Audrey of the Outback, by Christine Harris

Price gave another generous shake of the tin, replaced the lid and put it outside the dunny.
‘Be careful,’ said Audrey.
‘I know what I’m…’ Price cleared his throat. ‘It’ll be okay. Move back if you’re worried.’
Audrey obeyed.
Price took a matchbox from his pocket, lit a match and threw it into the open hole.
There was an enormous whoomph, followed by a bang. A rush of heat knocked Audrey backwards.

Audrey lives in the remote outback with her mother, her big brother Price and her baby brother Dougie. Dad lives with them too – when he’s home – but he’s been gone for the longest time. With Dad away, Audrey and Price have to help Mum, but Audrey doesn’t mind too much – except when she has to clean out the chook pen or help Price with the long drop dunny.

Audrey and her best friend Stumpy spend their spare time building cubbies and chatting to the rare visitors who come by, including the swaggie, Toothless. And Audrey also has time to ponder important questions – like whether she should be a girl or a man, and whether it would be better to be a sheep or a cow.

Audrey of the Outback is a delightful tale of life in remote Australia. Audrey is a loveable main character with an upbeat, if skewed, take on life. Her friend Stumpy is a curious choice for a best friend, and readers will enjoy unravelling just who (or what) he is.

Perfect for private reading for kids aged 8 and over, it is also ideal for share reading in either a classroom or home setting.

Audrey of the Outback, by Christine Harris
Little Hare, 2008

Cool Bananas, by Christine Harris

When she goes to stay with her grandpa for the first time, Claudia expects him to use a walking stick and smell like old cabbage. Instead, he meets her at the airport dressed in a lurid shirt with wraparound sunnies and his hair gelled into spikes. How embarrassing! Claudia wonders how she will survive a holiday with this man who she doesn’t know at all.

Something else is worrying her as well. Claudia has an embarrassing secret. Nobody knows about it – but Grandpa seems to be to be on to her.

Cool Bananas is a fun junior novel suitable for readers aged 7 to 10, though reluctant readers up to the age of twelve will enjoy it. The text is accessible, the plot satisfying and the line-drawing illustrations by Bettina Guthridge a good complement.

Cool Bananas (ABC Kids Fiction)

Cool Bananas, by Christine Harris
ABC Kids, 2007

This book can be purchased online at Fishpond. Buying through this link helps to support Aussiereviews.

Outback, by Christine Harris

Before I came up north, I imagined that the outback would be dead quiet. But it never is. The bush is alive. It might sound silly, but it’s true. There’s the wind shaking leaves or blowing dust. Bird calls. The pounding of kangaroos…And even on a day when there is no wind and no animals or birds close by, if you sit really still you can hear bugs scratching under tree bark.

When Jimmy Porter’s dad is sent to prison, Jimmy is sent to live with relatives he’s never met, who live in Central Australia. It is 1927 and life in the outback is harsh. There is no communication with the outside world, no power, water supplies, education or shopping facilities. Jimmy misses his father and their city life, but soon comes to see the beauty of this strange place, and to form a bond with the cousins who make up his new ‘family’. When disaster strikes, Jimmy and his young cousins have to trek for help.

Outback is a diary-form novel, part of Scholastic’s My Australian Story series. Jimmy’s story is one which will intrigue young readers, with its contrasts to modern life. Harris creates likeable characters, set amidst events which are both exciting and significant. The storyline also provides an opportunity for readers to learn about the birth of the Flying Doctor service, and its importance to remote communities.

Outback: The Diary of Jimmy Porter, by Christine Harris
Scholastic, 2005

Nightmare, by Christine Harris

A long silence stretched between them.
‘OK,’ said Jesse. ‘You have a question on your face that isn’t making it to your lips. What is it?’
‘I heard you attacked another agent. Is that true?’
‘Attacked?’ She glared at Liam. ‘If somebody grabs you around the throat and you fight back, would you call that attacking?’

Jesse Sharpe, child prodigy and secret agent, is back in the third book in the Spy Girl series. Once again she is on a secret mission – this time in a camp for gifted children.

Jesse must identify a threat in the camp, but it isn’t easy. The ‘threat’ is one of the other children, a child who has unspecified ‘unusual skills’. Jesse is glad of the chance to meet other children and act normal for a few days, but the opportunity doesn’t last long. She is soon caught up in a terrifying chain of events which threaten her life.

Each new Spy Girl mystery deals not only with a new case, but also uncovers more of Jesse’s past and of the workings of C2. In this episode Jesse learns more about the fate of her friend and fellow child prodigy, Rohan, who disappeared from C2 some time ago.

The series is aimed at young lovers of the mystery and thriller genre and has a science fiction element which creates intrigue and also a dark side. Jesse is a scientifically engineered genius, trapped in the control of C2. An orphan, every facet of her life is monitored and orchestrated by C2.

Nightmare is likely to appeal to 10 to 14 year old readers.

Spy Girl #3: Nightmare, by Christine Harris
Scholastic, 2005

Fugitive, by Christine Harris

The man looked up at her then. For someone who was all about peace, his own face looked as though it had been in a war. One eye was a little higher than the other and there was a long scar on his right cheek. A burn maybe? He was in his thirties, she guessed.
‘You’re a kid.’
She knew that he saw a girl of medium height, with brown hair, a thick fringe over brown eyes and a smattering of freckles. Not someone to suspect.

Eleven year old Jesse Sharpe is on her second assignment as part of Operation IQ. No ordinary child, Jesse is a child prodigy trained to work under cover for C2, the secret organisation which adopted her as a baby.

Jesse must work with her partner, Liam, to track down two foreign agents and figure out what they are doing in the country. A child can go where an adult can’t, without raising suspicion.Jesse must uncover what the foreign agents are planning for a group called Peace First and its planned rally.

Fugitive is the second title in the Spy Girl series. Fast-paced and with plenty of action and mystery, it will be enjoyed by children aged 10 and up and especially gifted readers who will enjoy meeting a character with a high IQ that they can relate to. The story has dark overtones, with Jesse and her friend Jai captive and under the control of the C2 Organisation. Whilst readers will find this unsettling, it will draw them in to Jesse’s stories, welcoming the gradual unravelling that seems likely to occur throughout the series.

Fugitive is a gripping read.

Fugitive, by Christine Harris
Scholastic, 2004