Adventure, intrigue, romance, pirates, murder, stolen treasures, deception, characters good and bad, teenagers both brave and clever and strange secrets all play a part in this suspenseful second entry in the Young Bond series. As a 13-year-old attending an English boarding school (Eton), Bond is not immune to danger and trouble. The setting soon moves from Eton to the Island of Sardinia where the real action takes place. Red herrings are used liberally and the reader will find twists and turns abound as each episode brings a mountain of suspense. One of James Bond’s classmates is left parentless when the classmate’s father is killed for his cache of famous artworks and Bond is there to help right the wrongs. The tale is neatly and satisfactorily concluded—perhaps a little too neatly and far sooner than most readers will want to stop reading. A page-turning read. (Fiction. YA)
