This book has all the elements of an exciting story, mystery, magic and action packed. Flora, an independent and creative Italian girl, wants to be a detective and with the support of her mother and to the annoyance of her little brother Marco, she aims to solve a mystery. The story certainly doesn't hang around, by the end of the first chapter, Flora is on the case of the missing golden eggs. A rather special chicken who can lay golden eggs has gone missing. Was she killed or stolen? In her quest to solve the mystery, Flora comes across an exciting mix of characters, from Lucia the owner of the missing magical hen, Sergio, the mad pirate, owner of a flying ship, to Lorenzo who is under suspicion from the very start. Each chapter is punctuated by a page of Flora's diary, summarising the plot so far. This is rather handy to be honest as the plot does tend to hop around a little and is a little disjointed.. I haven't read a book with so many references to bodily functions. This book has them all, various animal poos, farts, phlegm, sweat and dandruff, nothing is overlooked! I suspect these references will certainly appeal to a certain age of reader, and certainly it adds to the lively picture. I like the subtle references to Italy, nothing obvious, but the gelato, pecorino and biscotti are all nice touches and add to the overall picture. This is also enhanced by the lively illustrations. Overall a lively and well paced story.
Rosie Watch, A LoveReading4Kids Ambassador
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