Mysterium: Black Dragon

Danny has grown up in a world of magic and mysterious tricks, with his father a well know escapologist.  When his parents are killed in a mysterious fire Danny finds himself sent to a boarding school by his aunt, an investigative journalist.  Then the school suffers an explosion and he finds himself accompanying his aunt Laura and her colleagues to Hong Kong, his mother’s birthplace.  They are soon embroiled in criminal gangs and lots of danger and then Laura is kidnapped.  How are they going to find and rescue her?

This is a great adventure story for the 9-12 year old, especially boys.  The action is fast paced and not held up by great paragraphs of description.  The addition of magic and escapology is going to attract those who enjoy challenges and might lead to further reading on the subject.  The one element that I found particularly difficult to get to grips with is the constant use of the present tense.  At a personal level I found it detracted from the flow of the story and hence my ability to really enjoy it.  I suspect that a younger audience will have less problems, but it could put some readers off.  Overall, a promising start from this new author.