A breathlessly paced adventure takes two modern kids back in time to England, 1763, where they must cope with such varied difficulties as 18th-century clothing and a host of implacable evildoers. When Peter and Kate, thrown together by chance, pop out of thin air in 1763 along with the anti-gravity machine that brought them there, they are lucky to do so in front of Gideon. Less luckily, the anti-gravity machine is immediately stolen by the Tar Man, king of London’s cutthroats, and Gideon’s erstwhile colleague. Readers may feel let down when they meet the title character, who, far from being the promised villain, has reformed his wicked ways and vows to help Peter and Kate get home. Buckley-Archer spins a rip-roaring tale replete with the raw details of life in the 18th century, including those of highwaymen, chamber pots and ghastly food like tripe. While the kids’ adjustment to their new time, if reluctant, is well-nigh miraculous in its ease, the story compensates with nonstop action, appealing secondary characters and healthy dollops of humor, all of which will have readers panting for the sequel. (Fiction. 10-14)
