THE RIDDLES OF EPSILON

Ciphers, codes and other puzzles abound in a British fantasy that uses the immense conflict between dark and light beings at the core of its magic. The twist here is the frequent chat room script that contrasts the ghostly presence of Epsilon with the girls’ slang and more informal dialogue. Jessica’s family has just moved to a remote island to try to sort out the marital difficulties of the parents. Determined at first to be uncooperative, Jessica is gradually intrigued by the mysterious and unexplained hints that Epsilon drops about the enormous stakes. Sebastian Wren and his parents lived in the Big House over a hundred years ago and the exchanges through time between Jess and her mother and their earlier counterparts add to the suspense. Those looking for Christian symbolism will be rewarded, but the excitement of the chase will be sufficient for most readers. In the tradition of Ellen Raskin’s classic The Westing Game, but closer to Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer (2004) or Emily Rodda’s Deltora Quest series. A clever conundrum. (Fiction. YA)