Showing posts with label UCLan Publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UCLan Publishing. Show all posts

Sunday, 8 June 2025

PIRATE ACADEMY. SWORD ECHOES

Written by  Justin Somper

                            

The 3 main characters feature cover centre. Authors name on top in blue. Pirate Academy is beneath in bold gold letters. Sword echoes appears in cerise in a gold banner along the bottom. A knot ended gold rope goes around the edges, with a LoTP figurehead masks in top left & right corners. In the bottom half there is a storm tossed sea scape, with two ships facing each other. One is LoTP the other from the Academy. In the page centre the Sword of Echoes shines amidst blue/white flamelike wisps.
©Image copyright

                                              

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week a Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, casting off what looks like her knitting rather than the bow and stern ropes – though her cable knit sweater has been known to look similar, let's set sail on another awesome adventure….


The 3 main characters feature cover centre. Authors name on top in blue. Pirate Academy is beneath in bold gold letters. Sword echoes appears in cerise in a gold banner along the bottom. A knot ended gold rope goes around the edges, with a LoTP figurehead masks in top left & right corners. In the bottom half there is a storm tossed sea scape, with two ships facing each other. One is LoTP the other from the Academy. In the page centre the Sword of Echoes shines amidst blue/white flamelike wisps.



AUTHOR:  Justin Somper

 

Illustrations by:  TEO SKAFFA

 

Published by:  UCLan Publishing

 

Publication date Paperback:  30 May 2025 – OUT NOW!

 

Paperback 13 digit ISBN:  978-1916 747 579


UK Cover price for Paperback:  £7.99


Amazon KINDLE price:  3.99

 

Pages: 293

 

Age range: 8+  



 

SPOILER ALERT


Yes, as to books 1 & 2 and some as to plot direction and characters in book 3.

 

 

Thank you to... 


We are exceedingly grateful to publicist, Graeme Williams, and UCLan Publishers for offering us a chance to Read & Review this story. 


As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.


First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.



The plot

Book three of this future set ocean-going adventure finds our three heroes each set sail on a separate course. Jacoby is still at the pirate academy, and is horrified, along with fellow Barracuda Class members, when one of their favourite teachers defects to the League of True Pirates aka LoTP. They are intent on bringing back the old ways with a thirst for adventure and violence, and it stuns the kids to the core, leaving them wondering who amongst the teachers will be next to defect. Worse, when Jacoby finds a document file in the cabin of the defected teacher, he fears Ocean, Jasmine’s friend at the academy, will be targeted by LoTP to defect and thus under suspicion and untrustworthy.

Meantime, Neo Splice is on a mission with Captain December Wilde and her pet boar, Pickle. He is following a trail left by his late mother and hopes it will lead to an amazing treasure. Where it does lead eventually is to another pirate academy. In the wall safe of the headmaster Neo finds his mother’s gift to him, a falcata sword. But not just any sword as Neo later finds out when he returns home. This is the Sword of Echoes, and he is a Sword Reader. The sword holds memories of his family and allows Neo to see these echoes, memories of his family line. But the reason he can see them is that he has the power to do so. It is a very rare gift. The memories reveal Neo as the one his family has been waiting for. The power to change the tide of events unfolding around about him. How and when, he has yet to discover. But as the sword is one of three that belonged to his kin, there is a lot more adventure in the pipeline. And he is ready to wield his sword and new talent to find out. But the reader will glean others are interested in the sword, too!

Jasmine has a map, and this one leads to a different sort of treasure. Given by a fellow student who supposedly defected to LoTP but actually is under cover, it will lead Jasmine to the location of her father who she desperately wishes to see again. What Jasmine discovers is that he is undercover for the Pirate Federation to discover LoTP’s plans. The latest plan is called Operation Kraken, and involves amazing new and deadly pirate ships. Jasmine’s mother however remains a high ranking and dedicated LoTP follower and will stop at nothing to overthrow the Federation.

Jacoby and Jasmine go off on a reconnaissance mission at the LoTP boat building yard where the new pirate ships are being built and the first is just about to be launched. With them is a teacher and Cheng Li, a senior student. But things go badly off course, and all thanks to Jacoby whose cocky attitude ends up getting Cheng and himself signed up as members of LoTP!
Complications aplenty ensue as the Pirate Federation launches a deadly bombardment of the ship and yard. As to the outcome, which is far from what even we expected, you will just have to set sail with the Pirate Academy.


So, what did we think?

Pirating for the future age, with academies for the kids of the world’s most famous and notorious pirating families. In some school adventures we have clear definitions as to who is good and bad from the outset, Harry Potter is the obvious example. Here though the author has let the tale and circumstances create and also change the divisions and loyalties as we read along with our three primary protagonists, Jasmine, Jacoby, and Neo.

Initially in the series the characters are competing with their classmates to show who is best, to find their place and to show them, and us, their strengths, and weaknesses. But quickly this changes, and as outside influences from the adult world of pirate politics comes into play so the lives of all the students at the school change.

It is a smart move, provides realism, and creates an amazing seat of the pants ride through stormy waters of life, relationships, choices, and priorities. None of which are easy for any eleven-year-old.

This adventure series has been building from the off. Books one and two brought together our cast and then sowed the seeds for tearing them apart by the end of book two. In book three, we see each of the three find something they have sought, be it family, memories, belonging and truth. But it doesn’t stop there and brings fresh challenges also. They have, as all kids must, found within themselves greater confidence. In some cases, they are also discovering to not be overly confident, to temper wild enthusiasm and arrogance. That is a big ask for Jacoby.

The sea can be tempestuous, deadly, and yet also calm. This is mirrored brilliantly in the ever-changing imperatives and foundations of the protagonist’s lives. We see very real adult peril for them as a storm of change starts to rip apart not only their world at pirate school but also their friends and family. The current order is being challenged by the old, and arguably more dangerous and deadly bad side of pirates. A side that had in the story been long since banished when the Pirate Federation had been created by the major pirate families across the globe.

LoTP provides the perfect baddie vibe. The big dangerous organisation that contains both good, those fighting it from within and without, and the bad, those bent on the power and treasure it promises.

It would be easy for this to become a heavy read, and in fact most adults will see many parallels through human history past and present. But it is far from weighed down by this. It is a hearty kids adventure, with growing hints of magic, as well as more than a little but well-placed humour along the way. I can’t help but think of this as Mission Impossible meets Pirates of the Caribbean, done kids style.

By the end of book three we were rooting for all our team as they tackle both personal and far wider matters. But this isn’t the end of the adventure, far from it. The author has left the characters poised to remain, for the time being at least, on their own distinct paths of growing up and discovery. Which means to us that there will be a meeting of the way sometime soon with an explosive ending. At least that is what we are hoping for.

So . . . . Crunch time.

An excellent, entertaining, inclusive, swashbuckling adventure that even adults can be excused for joining in with. The perfect series read, or stand-alone read thanks to the marvellous summary of the adventure thus far.


The 3 main characters feature cover centre. Authors name on top in blue. Pirate Academy is beneath in bold gold letters. Sword echoes appears in cerise in a gold banner along the bottom. A knot ended gold rope goes around the edges, with a LoTP figurehead masks in top left & right corners. In the bottom half there is a storm tossed sea scape, with two ships facing each other. One is LoTP the other from the Academy. In the page centre the Sword of Echoes shines amidst blue/white flamelike wisps.


Want to buy a copy?

To get a copy, please sail or saunter down to your local independent bookshop. No particular dress code is needed, but please do remember to leave cutlasses and boars at home!


Justin Somper's Vampirates web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.vampirates.co.uk/captain-somper/justin-somper/


UCLan Publishing's web page can be found HERE or type this: https://uclanpublishing.com/


Teo Skaffa's author page web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/authors/Teo-Skaffa/179183401 


Erin sits on an indented cushion pad on her sofa. She is staring out of an unseen window. She has a right profile shot that is half way to being a front on as part of her left eye and ear are also visible.

For those that just want a selfie on a Sunday, here's one of me posing in a bit of a crater. Let me assure you that this was neither left by Me or Mrs H. Ol' Ned the gardener had been in for a cup of tea and sat here and his weight caused a lasting impression. It was however rather warm, and thankfully compost free, so I jumped up to settle down for a new nap. 


We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. CLICK THIS LINK to vist their site and to get the code to add to your own blog . . . 


Small image. The Cat on My Head Sunday Selfies Blog Hop badge. Features a yellow-haired lady with a tuxedo cat on her head.

 

I hope you enjoyed that adventure. 

Till laters!

ERin




Sunday, 1 June 2025

WENDINGTON JONES and the LOST LEGACY

Written by  DANIEL DOCKERY

                            

The cover is in a matt dark red, with pale pinky-red & gold art deco lines around the edge. The title is in an off white for the 'Wendington Jones' part, and gold for the remainder. Centre cover is an image of Wendington sporting dyed black hair. She wears a long green gown, and she carries a green eye mask on a stick. She is attending a masked ball.  Behind is a mansion-like building with lights shining from both floors. The upper floor is an open-sided balcony. To the left and some way behind, Wendington is the silhouette of a lady is seen in a misty green air, most likely it is the Contessa who hosts the ball and is also a player in the story. The night sky is lit by fireworks. A leafy arrangement in muted greens occupies the left and right-hand edges of the inner picture. The words "How far would you chase someone the world thinks is dead" appear in a gold disc to the left, straddling the centre image and the border. The author's name appears in the bottom middle of the page in red on a gold background.

                                                    

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week an Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.


Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review. This week, we return to the 1920s and book two in the Wendington Jones series. I have included a short summary of book one below and a link to our review. 


Mrs H and I found this new adventure incredible. Better than the first, which is saying something given the high bar that was set. It is steeped in action as well as multiple plot twists and turns and u-turns, which means we can't, nor do we wish, to spoil it for you by even attempting to give our more usual detailed plot outline. Instead, we are opting for a broad approach.


So, with Mrs H and me already making plans to review book three, and there absolutely has to be one after this, especially given the ending, let's get on with the review!





AUTHOR:  Daniel Dockery


Illustrations by: Marco Guadalupi


Published by:  UCLan Publishing


Publication date Paperback: 


Paperback 13 digit ISBN:  978 - 191 674 7531


UK Cover price for Paperback:  £8.99


Amazon KINDLE price:  £4.99


Pages: 329


Age range:  10-14 but an amazing adult read too.



SPOILER ALERT


Yes, lots as to plot direction and characters in this and book one.



Thank you to... 


Our gratitude to Graeme Williams and UCLan Publishers for offering us a chance to Read & Review both books in this series. We are so glad we did. As ever, those books we review and share are those we select, find delight in, and feel you will also enjoy. 



The plot


SPOILER ALERT. Please read book one first if you don't wish to have too much given away as to the back story! See my review HERE. 


Book two starts off a matter of weeks after book one. In book one, recently orphaned 15-year-old Wendington, aka Wendi, heads off to complete her mother Penni's last adventure: the search for the fabled Tree of Life. 


After dodging various villains who seemed to include her grandma's valet, Rohan, she boards a ship to Australia, the last place the tree was seen. On board, she comes across a French family called Domino. There are other factions on board; some are friendly, and others are not. Some are there to protect Wendi, and others are determined to find the tree first irrespective of the price paid in blood. After one heck of an adventure worthy of Adèle Blanc-Sec and Enola Holmes, Wendington arrives in Australia and heads inland to the last known location of the tree.   


Rohan has turned out to be a long-term friend and ally of Wendi's mother, and also a bit of a white knight cum dark horse. He is the perfect adult foil and friend for the inexperienced Wendi. But even he is not enough to fend off Madam Domino. She is hell-bent on finding the tree to save her own life from a genetic illness that also threatens her two children. They feature in the story, in their own way, providing both passion and drama to balance Wendi's. 


In a big shoot-out with the now-present police in the outback, Madam Domino shoots and kills Rohan. Turning her attention back to Wendi, Madam Domino forces Wendi into the cave where Penni discovered it. Yes, her mother had found the tree. And it seems she promised her friends they would share in the slithers of the tree's amber sap that cures all. But there was a falling out, and we find out the Domino's were behind Penni's death and that of others along the way. 


Unable to supply what Madam Domino wants, Wendi, is shot and killed in the cave and left there. But in death, Wendington finds the true location of the tree, and she is saved. She is given three tiny pieces of amber by the tree's keeper, with the knowledge that they are medicine and not a cure. Resurrected, she saves Rohan with one of the pieces. With the Domino's having exited the scene, our heroine and Rohan head home. 


Book two starts a matter of weeks later, back in Oxfordshire. Rohan has stayed with Wendi's grandmother and acts as the family's valet, etc. One night, Wendi spots a light in the snow-covered gardens. 


It turns out to be Grigori Rasputin, returned from the dead it seems, and up to no good. Later, on researching him, Wendi's friend, Cordelia, makes an amazing discovery. In a picture of the Russian royal family, she recognises another face. One of the girls at their school, Octavia, is identical to Princess Anastasia Romanov who had been killed with her family by the nasty revolutionaries some four years before. Not unlike Rasputin himself! 


Things start barreling along very quickly from here on in. Octavia has suddenly and for no seeming reason, run away from school. Could this be because of her history, and the sudden reappearance of Rasputin who the girls feel is out for revenge? Wendi and Cordelia return to school to check for evidence of Octavia's past, to confirm if she is Anastasia, and thus try to understand why Rasputin should be skulking around. In their search, a part of the building is set alight by Rasputin and the girls are lucky to escape with their lives.


What follows is a trail of evidence that Wendi and friends follow, first to the horse race track and a horse owned by Penni, then on to Venice and finally to Paris. However, ever-present are the Domino's. They are, as the friends soon discover, bent on bloody revenge and obtaining from Wendi the pieces of life-restoring amber that she got from the keeper of the Tree of Life. Pieces of amber they feel are rightly owed to them. And they have enlisted Rasputin to aid them.


Who ends up chasing who is rather a moot point as staying alive long enough to save Octavia/Anastasia, is the main issue. And let me tell you, that is not going to be easy for the friends. Especially as new parties join the fray and hunt, parties with social power, powers and motivation and agendas of their own. Deals must be brokered, sacrifices made, and not just for the amber, but to stay alive and in the chase.



So, what did we think?


Immensely competent, intense, and a hugely enjoyable, engaging, and action-packed adventure. This redefines adventure reads as we now see them for this age group, and beyond. 


Filled with delightful world-building and characterisations that run deep and would not be out of place in the most able of adult fiction. 


We could not believe how involved we got with this story; how impassioned we felt about the rights, wrongs, and injustices thrown upon our characters, the resulting decisions they had to make, and the consequences they endured. 


Book 1 was very much about Wendington's loss of her mother. During that tale, which was hugely dramatic, heartfelt and entertaining, the reader experiences her loss and journey to final acceptance that she can't bring her mother or those that died alongside her, back. Here in book two, we find friendship, resilience, and sacrifice as key themes, for all the cast.


The plot IS immensely enjoyable, very clever, and with more twists and turns than all others we have read. It slots beautifully into the period but is not consumed by it. There is also some amazing use of dialogue to look out for along the way. It isn't just the dry wry wit of Jeeves to Bertie Wooster that Rohan shares with Wendi. It does, as the reader will find out as they head towards the end, conceal clues as to things – alternate meanings. Which we think will, and does, elevate this to a suitable adult read. 


So . . . . Crunch time. 


Buy and enjoy what has to be the 'best-in-class' adventure that so very ably bridges middle-grade and young-adult reading and makes a jolly good adult read, too. 


For those who loved the Alice Eclair Spy Extraordinaire series that we have reviewed, by the awesome Sarah Todd Taylor, this will be a must-read progression. 


For those who liked the Adventure on Train series by M.G. Leonard (soon to be a film franchise) and who now want to try a period adventure with more feel, teeth and stylish drama, this is an excellent choice.


Available through Amazon and all good bookshops.


Daniel Dockery's website, specific to Wendington Jones, contains a lot of information as to Daniel himself and the thought process for this book. Well worth a read. A link to that web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.wendingtonjones.com/

UCLan Publishing's web page can be found HERE or type this: https://uclanpublishing.com/

Marco Guadalupi's Instagram page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.instagram.com/marcoguadalupi85/


For those that just want a selfie on a Sunday, here's one of me keeping a weather eye on the black bucket. It happens to contain a new bag of one of my brands of cat biscuits. Trouble is, Mrs H often leaves the patio door open and a few strays have been known to sneak in and try, unsuccessfully, to pinch my food!

Kibble-nappers, I suppose they are. Unlike me who is a napper-after-kibble kind of gal.





We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. CLICK THIS LINK to vist their site and to get the code to add to your own blog . . . 

Small image. The Cat on My Head Sunday Selfies Blog Hop badge. Features a yellow-haired lady with a tuxedo cat on her head.

 

I hope you enjoyed this adventure review and selfie. 

Till laters!

ERin





Sunday, 18 May 2025

WENDINGTON JONES and the MISSING TREE

Written by  DANIEL DOCKERY                            

The book cover is generally in a mix of dark green with an art deco stylised patterned edge in gold. In the centre we see Wendington standing at the prow of the liner that features in the book. There is a pale red and orange sky behind the ship to highlight Wendington and a grey silhouetted figure in a hat of some description. A golden disc is to the left of Wendington as we see her. On it is the inscription "Who would risk death for the tree of life?" Four portholes are seen at the prow, two each side, and in each a silhouette, probably of a person in the book. At the top of the cover 'Wendington Jones' is in red period font, whilst the rest of the title is in gold capitals beneath. The authors name appears below the ship in green on a gold plaque underlined in red.
© Image copyright


An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week an Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.


This week's review is of a story that we really needed to have read sooner. But it slipped us by. Which is our loss. But thankfully book two is being launched, and we have had the opportunity to read both. So not wishing to delay sharing book one any longer, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, already making plans for a visit to Australia, let's get on with the show!




The book cover is generally in a mix of dark green with an art deco stylised patterned edge in gold. In the centre we see Wendington standing at the prow of the liner that features in the book. There is a pale red and orange sky behind the ship to highlight Wendington and a grey silhouetted figure in a hat of some description. A golden disc is to the left of Wendington as we see her. On it is the inscription "Who would risk death for the tree of life?" Four portholes are seen at the prow, two each side, and in each a silhouette, probably of a person in the book. At the top of the cover 'Wendington Jones' is in red period font, whilst the rest of the title is in gold capitals beneath. The authors name appears below the ship in green on a gold plaque underlined in red.
©Image copyright


AUTHOR:  Daniel Dockery

 

Illustrations by:  Marco Guadalupi

 

Published by:  UCLan Publishing

 

Publication date Paperback: 2023

 

Paperback 13 digit ISBN:  978 1915 235 374


UK Cover price for Paperback:  £8.99


Amazon KINDLE price:  £4.99

 

Pages: 317

 

Age range:  10 - 14 and upwards


Any dogs or cats? No, but Percival the newt gets a bigger adventure than he could have bargained for!

 

 

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters.

 

Thank you to…

We are exceedingly grateful to Graeme Williams and UCLan Publishers for offering us a chance to Read & Review this excellent story.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.

The plot

It is late in 1920, and fifteen-year-old Wendington Jones, aka Wendi, daughter of the famed anthropologist Pennington Jones, has her world turned upside down. She is informed by the headmistress at her school that her mother, along with her valet, has died in a car crash.

Now orphaned, she becomes the responsibility of her grandmother, and her valet Rohan, a man Wendington isn’t at all sure of. At the stroke of midnight, not long after, Wendington receives a parcel from her dead mother. Within is half of a manuscript relating to a book her mother was writing. It describes her adventures in pursuit of the mythical Tree of Life.

Realising that the fabled tree could bring her mother and father back to life, she decides to complete her mother’s work and adventure. But first, she must find the other half of the manuscript. In recent mail received at her grandmother’s house, she discovers a letter from her mother’s editor. It reveals that the other half was posted to her mother’s valet’s house in a nearby village. There is also a ticket on a ship leaving for Australia the next day. But the letter holds a warning that others also seek the tree, and Pennington should not travel alone!

Whilst trying to retrieve the other half, she is attacked and has to flee the scene. Finding her gran’s car outside, she makes good her escape, dodging gunfire. In the rearview mirror, she spies Rohan, gun in hand, staring after her.

This is where everything starts to go wrong for Wendi. It is the turning point that leads to danger, discovery and adventure. And an ocean trip to Australia to discover, or rather, rediscover, the tree which is said to be there.

The story takes on a cat-and-mouse game on the ship and off. Wendi is desperately trying to figure out the secrets and location of the tree from only part of her mother’s work. She also needs to find out who has the other half of the manuscript that was not at the valet’s house. Heeding the editor’s warning, she has to figure out whom amongst her fellow passengers she can trust. None of this is easy when you are a child alone on a cruise liner and trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible to the crew and passengers.

And there is as strange and doubtful a group of passengers on board as even Agatha Christie could wish for. One person, or rather creature, she can rely on is Percival. He is a newt she discovered on the evening of the funeral. His opinions, however, will not save her from the destruction of the ship as well as attempts on her life and that of other passengers.

To find out what else goes on in this action-packed adventure, be it by car, ship, horse or plane, you’ll just have to read the book…..

So, what did we think?

Rich in description, attitude and adventure, this book offers and delivers so much to the reader. The 1920s are such a wonderful period in human history to set an adventure in. Arguably a golden age for travel and exploration. Even more so as women were starting to explore and exercise their own rights and talents, and in some respects, come to the fore.

Our own adventures are set in this period, and it creates a wonderful air of discovery, challenges and opportunity for characters and writers. It is empowering for younger readers to truly understand what we have. For them to appreciate where we are now, and to understand what we have gained, and also sadly, what we have lost.

All of which is why, when we were offered book two in this series, we jumped at the chance. We were also given the opportunity to read book one first, which is why, dear reader, you are having this review now. Book two review will follow just as soon as I can prise it away from Mrs H’s oil-stained fingers!

It was difficult not to love our protagonist’s attitude from the start. Pendington is bold, clever in the sense of well-read, very inquisitive, with a wit that is often pithy. However well-read she is, she is, like most fifteen-year-olds, not well-practised or experienced. She is also very human and a bit flawed, as the opening scene at her school indicates. Mrs H says that she was a bit like that as a child.

I loved that about Wendi. She is a very human fifteen-year-old who is dealing with the loss of her mother, having already lost her father. In fact, this book really is all about dealing with loss.

Having said that, it was hard to place this book down as there was always something happening or about to happen. It has oodles of adventure interspersed with tongue-in-cheek humour and thoughts as Wendington works things out. Having read up on the author’s process, Percival the newt is there as a silent foil, a sounding board so Wendi, who is alone in her grief, can express her thoughts out loud to us, the reader. He also makes a delightful sidekick who adds his own humour.

There is peril aplenty, everything from planes to trains, with cars and horses in between. I doubt the likes of Enola Holmes, Adèle Blanc-Sec, or a certain American professor would have fared better against the villains our Wendington Jones comes up against.

So, crunch time.

A rare and wondrous story that is a subtle and delightful blend of an adult movie adventure with heaps of Agatha Christie 1920s style. The very best adventure a young lady or man could ever wish for. At 317 pages, this is, we feel, at the more advanced end of Middle Grade reading, but well within the grasp of most. Certainly, it makes for a grand adult read.

But most important of all, under all the action, there is a much bigger driver. One that we think is incredibly well dealt with. This story is first and foremost about loss, grief, the avoidance thereof, and then coming to terms with and dealing with it. Some of the strongest moments, and also the most heart-tugging, come from these themes. That in itself is a journey of discovery and as strong, if not stronger, than what goes on around and about.

Mrs H and I often have conversations after we read books. Some of the conversations go down strange rabbit holes of ‘what if character X met Y, or did this or that, what would happen? One such was when she said to me What if she met Hercule on board? We figured he would be busy solving, say, a death on the cruise ship in the first-class area, whilst Wendington Jones would be in the lower decks doing her thing, too. They would doubtless brush shoulders at some point in a scene, probably amid some turmoil. There would be a pause, then, with an uncertain look from Wendi, and a polite knowing look and a nod of appreciation and understanding from Hercule, they would go about their work. Doubtless, though, they would each, through quite different means, reach a satisfactory conclusion.

This isn’t quite as fanciful as it may seem. Both characters are around at the same time, Hercule’s first case being in 1917. So they could have overlapped. Both are also similar in that they have each faced a huge personal loss that they struggle with. But enough of that flight of fancy, back to the review . . . .

Of course, a satisfactory conclusion does not mean all’s well that ends well, at least for some. Which is another reason to love this story. Come the end of the story and the character’s journey thus far, both the spiritual and actual, we both truly felt we had been on the adventure too. And had learned something very important about life and death, just like Wendi. This adventure deals with all aspects of both in a respectful way. At times blunt, but better for it.

So there you have it. An excellent read, a highly recommended adventure that will stay with us a long time, and become a reference by which to judge other stories.

Daniel Dockery's website, specific to Wendington Jones, contains a lot of information as to Daniel himself and the thought process for this book. Well worth a read. A link to that web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.wendingtonjones.com/

UCLan Publishing's web page can be found HERE or type this: https://uclanpublishing.com/

Marco Guadalupi's Instagram page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.instagram.com/marcoguadalupi85/


For those that just want a selfie on a Sunday, here's one of me reaching out . . . . What for or to whom I'll let you all decide . . . 

Mrs H also wants you know that I had spent what she calls an IN-ORDINATE amount of time on my pedicure. The all look perfectly in order to me, what do you think?


Erin sits upright on her haunches atop of a sage green fleecy bed cover on a spare bed at the Manor House. Her left paw is reaching out horizontally, with fingers spread.




We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. 

Small image. The Cat on My Head Sunday Selfies Blog Hop badge. Features a yellow-haired lady with a tuxedo cat on her head.

 

I hope you enjoyed this adventure review. 

Till laters!

ERin