The Fire on Slate Fell

LoveReading4Kids Says

Meet Mae and Isla, observant primary school aged sisters with a talent for solving mysteries. As we first meet Mae and Isla, they’re in the supermarket carpark where they have a frightening experience with a biker gang. In this opening scene we see that both girls are very observant, but in different ways, with Isla constantly drawing what she sees, and Mae’s poems to remember everything.

There are a number of different strange occurrences, but it seems only Mae and Isla have noticed all the clues to tie everything together at the end. I liked the differences between Mae and Isla. Mae's wordplay and Isla’s sketches celebrate that creativity comes in many forms which is a positive message for young readers.

I also liked that their sisterly bond allows them to hear each other’s thoughts. It’s entertaining that we as the reader are included in the sisters’ connection while the adults are left baffled. It also lowers the stakes at some of the more worrying moments, making it suitable for a younger audience.

There are some fun illustrations throughout the chapters by Corryn Webb that bring important details of the story to life. I personally liked the appearances from Reggie and the motorcycles. The Fire on Slate Fell is the first in the Lakeland Mystery series and I think that it will be an entertaining read for mystery loving middle grade readers.

The expansive Lake district setting lends itself for lots of different adventures to come.

Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading4Kids Ambassador

About The Fire on Slate Fell

After a frightening encounter with a cigar-chomping biker gang, young sisters Mae and Isla Donaldson investigate a mysterious fire that has left no trace. The mystery deepens when a beautiful visitor speaks of buried treasure and a hooded stranger is overheard bragging in the local pub. Curiosity turns to terror when Ilsa disappears on the trail of clues left by a fell-walking eccentric, who has also vanished.

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