Missing Dad: Wanted by J Ryan
| Missing Dad: Wanted by J Ryan | |
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| Category: Teens | |
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Reviewer: Jill Murphy
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| Summary: Enjoyable thriller adventure, in which a young boy finds himself involved in all sorts of illegal shenanigans. Great fun. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 224 | Date: November 2015 |
| Publisher: Matador | |
| ISBN: 1784624748 | |
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Joe is in big trouble. He's been driving the car his grandfather bought him before he's even old enough to take the driving test. And been caught. Still worse, he's suspected of a hit-and-run and the police don't look as though they believe him when he insists he - and his car - were nowhere near the scene. Mum is unimpressed but also worried and Joe feels horribly guilty. As if things couldn't be worse, Joe is also suspended from school.
But then, by complete coincidence, Joe sees a car just like his. It must be the hit-and-run culprit. Discovered taking photos of the number plate to show the police, Joe ends up in a high speed chase - yes, he was driving again - ending in a violent attack. Mum is even more worried. But at least the police believe him.
You'd think that Joe would stay away from cars for a bit, wouldn't you? But oh, no. No. He answers an advert for a chauffeur's job, unable to resist the pull of the purring Bentley in the advert. And amazingly, Monsieur le Directeur of L'Etoile Fine Wines offers Joe the job. Well, amazing to Joe but not so amazing at all, actually. Because Monsieur le Directeur and his associate Alfredo Bertolini know exactly who Joe is. They also know Joe's father, a secret agent investigating organised crime, who disappeared some years ago.
And before Joe knows it, he is drawn into a very dangerous world. And so is his family. And so is his girlfriend, Becks.
Missing Dad: Wanted is the first in a planned series about Joe St Aubin and his search for his missing father. It's a thoroughly enjoyable, action-packed ride, underpinned by the emotional tether of a boy's love and need for his father. Any reader who loves motors and engines and cars will want to read it. I think the most vivid scenes in the book are the car chases, which are truly exhilarating. And the descriptions of the cars are equally appealing. I don't like cars much but even I wanted a go in the Bentley!
The action comes thick and fast in other ways too, as Joe is drawn further and further into a criminal world and learns more and more about the father he can barely remember. There are car chases, flying bullets, explosions, threats, drug deals, high altitude rescues and everything else you can imagine. But Joe keeps his eyes on the prize throughout and you can't help but root for him.
Sometimes you have to suspend belief just a little bit, and sometimes it's a bit too dialogue-heavy, but overall Missing Dad:Wanted is a genuinely enjoyable action thriller. I would certainly read book two - especially because this one ends on a dratted cliffhanger!
You might also enjoy The Murder Notebooks series by Anne Cassidy, in which step-siblings get involved in all kinds of crime when searching for their missing parents. Here's the first book in the series.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Missing Dad: Wanted by J Ryan at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Missing Dad: Wanted by J Ryan at Amazon.com.
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