The Key to Finding Jack

An unusual take on the detective genre that is just a as much about family relationships as solving a mystery.

Flick has always idolised her older brother Jack and loves to solve the riddles he tells her. He even nicknames her Sergeant Flick. Jack has haemophilia but that has never got in the way of his life. He has a reputation as a practical joker and doesn’t always see eye to eye with their father, a top lawyer, who expects Jack to follow in his footsteps. Flick is apprehensive when Jack sets off traveling in Peru in his gap year as she realises her relationship with him will change as he will be off to university when he returns.

Then the unthinkable happens and Jack is reported missing in the aftermath of a huge earthquake in Peru. Wanting to do something practical to help find Jack, Flick searches for clues he might have left behind. She discovers Jack’s precious necklace he always wore with a tiny golden key together with an enigmatic note saying it is for SF to keep until he is back. Along with her best friend Keira, Flick tracks down 5 different people Jack knows with the initial SF. In the process she finds out many hidden sides to her brother and realises he is not at all the person she thought he was, in fact, he is even more remarkable! Flick follows her nose and discovers the mystery is closer to home than she realised. Jack is found – he knew his little sister would find out where he was!

And in a neat parallel twist there is also a story within a story as Flick has a secret of her own – she is writing a Victorian mystery whose heroine shares several similar characteristics to her brother. She has never admitted to Jack she wants to be a writer. It is her story that is chosen by the class to enter a national competition for young writers and the family are all together to share her surprise when she wins her category.

This is a richly satisfying and reflective read. The warmth and the strength of the bond between siblings is gradually revealed along with a deeper knowledge and understanding of the family dynamic and how their new knowledge brings them even closer together. It is also about friendship and determination and how important it is to be true to yourself and live life to the full. A rewarding and special book.