Pure Dead Magic

Computers which swallow baby rats and miniaturised baby sisters, emailing them across Europe, prehistoric beasts guarding a gothic castle, a proficient witch for a nanny, a fond Dad kidnapped by the mafia ... Gliori, better-known for her many picture-books, has gone to town in this, her first novel for older children, giving a contemporary twist to kidnap and rescue with the creative use of computers and the Web. The result is fast-moving, over-the-top, engaging and great fun. The Italian-Scottish setting gives an excuse for lots of jokes and puns, some inevitably better than others - I found the punning names of some characters irritating for example. In addition, the book's title has a contemporary connotation in Scotland which it won't have elsewhere. Character development is more by implication than anything else, and having introduced a bunch of assassins, Gliori is very quick to dispose of them almost without us noticing. A jolly good read, despite these deficiencies.