What a wonderful story! A murder mystery for children like no other - the main character, Sally Jones, is a gorilla and she is a true delight. There are beautiful illustrations at the start of each chapter, and a detailed map on the inside front and back covers - no-one can resist a map!
The story is set in Lisbon in Portugal in the early to mid 1900's. Sally Jones is an engineer's assistant to the 'Chief' Henry Koskela on the vessel The Hudson Queen. However, following their refusal to take on board a certain consignment of cargo, one man ends up dead and Henry Koskela is charged with his murder. Sally Jones knows he is innocent and sets out to prove it. Her journey takes her to India and back, and along the way she meets many colourful characters - some who want to help her, but many who don't.
The story is jam-packed with adventures, it is such a page-turner. A marvelous book with a truly original heroine.
I hadn't read any Salman Rushdie books before I came to this one. I know it sounds absurd, but since The Satanic Verses and the threats on his life, I've had a slight fear over his novels. Would they be too political for me, too intelligent?
Well, in The Golden House, he certainly is the latter two things, but it didn't stop me enjoying the book immensely. He throws literary, historical, cinematic and mythological references into nearly every sentence, many of which I hadn't heard! He is certainly a well-educated man, and the book a huge literary feast. The utmost care has been taken over every sentence - no noun or adjective has been misused. Sure, I might've glazed over on some paragraphs because the descriptions were just too much for my brain to cope with on one go, but overall it is a beauty of a book.
Nero Golden arrives in America with his three sons during the period of the inauguration of Obama. They all refuse to say where they have come from and the reason they left. But they bring with them power, money and danger. The story of their downfall is told by one of their neighbours, Rene Unterlinden, who is trying to find an idea for a film - and he finds it in the Goldens. This is an epic tale of Indian and American history and politics - the appearance of presidential wannabes the Joker and Bat Girl will have you grinning and wincing at the same time.
It may be over 400 pages long, but this book will drag you in and under, and you won't come up for air until the last page.
A couple of light hearted facts for you - did you know that in his early career Salman Rushdie was a copywriter for an advertising agency, and he was the one who came up with 'irresistibubble' for Aero, 'naughty but nice' for cream cakes, and 'that'll do nicely' for American Express?
The Falcon Chronicles: Tiger Wars
by Steve Backshall
This was brilliant! The precis on the inside cover doesn't do it justice. The storyline revolves around animals and places Steve knows much about, and his love for them shines through in his wonderfully descriptive writing.
Set in India, Saker is part of 'The Clan', a group of boys who have been unwittingly brought up being trained as hunter warriors, of both men and animals. If they show signs of wavering from their duty or questioning the reasoning, they are either drugged or they simply 'disappear'. Saker was on a mission to supply live tigers for a big client, who would then make millions out of the pelts and body parts. He escapes during the mission, but unavoidably has to take Sinter, the daughter of a wealthy tea plantation owner, as hostage. However, the two soon realise they have a lot in common when it comes to the protection of endangered wild animals, and they follow the trail of two tiger cubs to track down the evil mastermind. Their journey takes them through India, across the border to China and through the Himalayas to Tibet, with a surprise awaiting Sinter.
