FORT OF GOLD

With a charming Irish lilt to the prose and a wonderful glow to the characters, this book, set on the Irish island of Inishdara, is outstanding. The plot is tight and well-developed, and the narrative is splashed with humor, excitement and ideas. Michael (the narrator), Roddy, and Johnny are three spirited youths who uncover tainted Spanish gold from the ruins of an old fort. But the discovery must be kept a secret -- for superstition decrees that the gold will unleash evil spirits on the island. The boys dive deeper into intrigue when they are forced to assist a band of thieves in a search for the same gold. The factions tangle, the islanders enter, and the boys, the gold, and the island are all saved. A delightful combination of logic, superstition and intrigue, tied together by a cleverly conceived plot.