Code Breaker is another exciting suspense mystery for young readers in the successful Taya Bayliss series. I was introduced to this series several months ago and am really enjoying the stories. I would say that the author has written for a slightly older audience this time. My 10 year old didn't engage with it, but my 13 year old thinks it's a great read and recommends it as a great adventure. |
It does start off on a serious note and I wasn't quite sure what the hook was, but it soon settled into a riveting mystery adventure by the end of the first short chapter. The themes are darker than in the Taya Bayliss Dog Sitter book I had read previously, with murders and ruthless criminals the order of the day.
Taya is witness to mysterious events in the bird sanctuary of Narralong and her detective skills are put to the test with a obscure code to crack. Her father is keeping secrets and it is up to the youngster to figure out the truth of the bird thieves before more lives could be lost.
The tension builds nicely in the grand tradition of Enid Blyton's Famous Five. The only thing missing I felt was the camaraderie between characters with Taya's friend, Chris, out of action in hospital for much of the story. I do feel that these two have a good rapport and hope Chris returns in future novels.
All in all, a fun read. Well edited and nicely constructed. 4 stars.
I purchased a paperback copy of the book and reviewed it for Writers' Web
Available on Amazon.com
Taya is witness to mysterious events in the bird sanctuary of Narralong and her detective skills are put to the test with a obscure code to crack. Her father is keeping secrets and it is up to the youngster to figure out the truth of the bird thieves before more lives could be lost.
The tension builds nicely in the grand tradition of Enid Blyton's Famous Five. The only thing missing I felt was the camaraderie between characters with Taya's friend, Chris, out of action in hospital for much of the story. I do feel that these two have a good rapport and hope Chris returns in future novels.
All in all, a fun read. Well edited and nicely constructed. 4 stars.
I purchased a paperback copy of the book and reviewed it for Writers' Web
Available on Amazon.com