Verity Sparks and the Scarlet Hand, by Susan Green

Papa was strolling towards the exit and as I turned to follow him, I saw her. In the cloud of smoke and steam left by the departing train, she appeared ghostly and indistinct, but as she moved towards us every detail sharpened. The grey dress, the modish hat, the beautiful face with deep brown eyes. My heart began to thump wildly. She was following me. It had been her all along, in the train, in Collins Street, in the Book Bazaar, perhaps even on the St Kilda Esplanade. Who was she? Why was she shadowing me? Did I have the courage to confront her?
But in a flash I relaised that I didn’t want to. Papa must not see her. This woman looked so much like Mama. It would only upset him.

Verity is happy with her Papa, and their ever-growing circle of friends. But a strange lady is following her – a woman who claims to be a relative, even though that seems impossible. When Verity and her friends go to the country for a holiday, it seems she can forget about the stranger for a while, and relax. But strange things are happening, and when Verity’s friend, Druscilla, and Helen, the wife of their host, are kidnapped, the holiday comes to an end.

A ransom note warns that police must not be involved, so the family’s friend, SP, investigates. Verity tries to help, but her visions, which seem to be offering clues, are confusing. Why was a red glove left at the scene of the kidnapping, and why do her visions also link to the colour red? And does the disappearance have something to do with the strange lady who was following Verity?

Verity Sparks and the Scarlet Hand is the third book featuring this fiesty heorine. Verity is part-detective, part mystic, with her visionary skills proving useful, though she struggles to understand or harness them. Set in 1880, in colonial Victoria, and featuring a wide range of characters from around the globe, the story will engage strong readers with a love of mystery and of historical fiction.

Verity Sparks and the Scarlet Hand, by Susan Green
Walker Books, 2015
ISBN 9781922244895

Also in the series:
The Truth About Verity Sparks
Verity Sparks, Lost and Found

Verity Sparks, Lost and Found by Susan Green

The Dream.

I was looking for something.

But what was it? Mist swirled around me and I could see only as far as my outstretched hands. Grey shapes – were they trees or rocks? – loomed up and then vanished as I ran past. My ribs ached and my breath came in ragged gasps, but I couldn’t stop. I had to find it.

I looked down at my fingers, willing them to itch or tingle, to give me a sign, to show me what I was searching for. But they were just ten ordinary digits, like everyone else’s. How could I find it if I’d lost my gift?’

The Dream.

I was looking for something.

But what was it? Mist swirled around me and I could see only as far as my outstretched hands. Grey shapes – were they trees or rocks? – loomed up and then vanished as I ran past. My ribs ached and my breath came in ragged gasps, but I couldn’t stop. I had to find it.

I looked down at my fingers, willing them to itch or tingle, to give me a sign, to show me what I was searching for. But they were just ten ordinary digits, like everyone else’s. How could I find it if I’d lost my gift?’

Verity has found her father, and moved from 1879 England to the much younger city of Melbourne. It’s a very different life to her early years when she was apprenticed to a milliner and struggling to keep her job and make a living. Her re-found father wishes to give her every advantage and send her to an exclusive boarding school. She finds mystery there, despite the apparently loss of her finger-tingling ability to find lost things. In this case, it’s a ‘who’ rather than a ‘what’ that is lost. The action moves from Melbourne into the hills of Mt Macedon, as Verity and her friends seek answers. But it’s difficult to tell sometimes who to trust. Verity also discovers that not everyone has been as lucky in life as she has, and that help means different things to different people.

Lost and Found is the second Verity Sparks mystery adventure. The first, ‘The Truth about Verity Sparks’, is set in working class London in the second half of the 19th century. This second mystery adventure introduces many new characters in this next stage of her life. And her life is very different, not just because she is half-way around the world in colonial Australia. But Verity is the same, and mystery finds her. There are clues to be followed, mysteries to be solved. Woven through this adventure are titbits of history and place, giving life to another time. As in ‘The Truth about Verity Sparks’ there are villains and heroes, although it’s not always clear initially which are which. Themes include trust, hope, family and friendship. An entertaining adventure mystery rich with historical curiosities. Recommended for middle-primary readers.

 

Verity Sparks, Lost and Found, Susan Green Walker Books Australia 2013 ISBN: 9781921977886

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com