More great reads: the best books for 9 year olds
"Mystery, atmosphere and Blyton-esque adventure abounds in this seaside-set story"
Melding modern day derring-do with classic-style whodunnit mystery and local history, Mark Dawson’s The Case of the Smuggler's Curse (the first in The After-School Detective Club series) comes recommended as a contemporary alternative to Enid Blyton. Co-written with Allan Boroughs and featuring lively illustrations by Ben Mantle, this character-driven story will keep adventure fans enthralled from start to finish.
Meet Lucy (brave, loyal and athletic), Max (geeky genius with a wicked sense of humour), Joe (intrepid, funny, and prone to stretching the truth) and Charlie (fearless, fierce and devoted to her dog, Sherlock). Four friends whose everyday lives are sent a-spinning when they spot a spectral figure brandishing a lantern on Southwold Beach during the depths of winter. Before they know it, the gang find themselves embroiled in a perilous smuggling plot, and in trouble with the police.
With lots of dialogue keeping the story moving (and readers keen to turn those pages), the writing is both evocative and engagingly clear, and the book’s not short on laughs either.
Lucy, Max, Charlie and Joe aren't looking for new friends - they have too many of their own problems to worry about. But when the four of them, and Charlie's faithful dog, Sherlock, spot a phantom figure on Southwold beach one winter's night, they are thrown together to unravel a mystery that none of them expected.
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Lucy, Max, Charlie and Joe aren't looking for new friends - they have too many of their own problems to worry about. But when the four of them, and Charlie's faithful dog, Sherlock, spot a phantom figure on Southwold beach one winter's night, they are thrown together to unravel a mystery that none of them expected.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Case of the Smuggler's Curse and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-10 years old
The Case of the Smuggler's Curse features in the following genres: Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Crime & Mystery, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Recommendations
Paperback. Not Available.
The Case of the Smuggler's Curse was written by Mark Dawson and published by Welbeck Flame an imprint of Welbeck Publishing Group
The Case of the Smuggler's Curse has 243 pages
Yes it is part of The After-School Detective Club Series series
