This book is full of adventure and mystery with a plot full of twists, clues and puzzles that lead to a surprising ending. The slope of his shoulders and knots of muscles in his forearm as he gripped the creatures collar, spoke of an immense power, carefully restrained. But this deadly quest will test her detective skills to the limit – and put her on a collision course with villains who will stop at nothing to get their own way.

This book was brilliant, I couldn't stop reading it when I bought it so I ended up finishing it the same day.

Created in 2019, ’Coast Paintings’ are colourful action paintings which convey the energy, excitement and change experienced by the seaside in winter, reflected in the works being named after British coastal locations. By the end, I was underwhelmed, which is a shame, because I liked the main characters and the Cornish setting. There are lots of reviews comparing this series to some of Blyton's work but I don't see any similarities at all.

Whilst care is a part of her past, it is not “the issue” in the book which is wonderfully inclusive and freeing that children in care can have adventures too. When an uncle suddenly does come to claim her and bring her to live with him in his seaside home in a small Cornish town, Laura is excited to begin her new life. country stars like Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle and the Dixie Chicks, she wrote the bestselling White Giraffe series.I was delighted when I looked at a map of Saint Ives to say that the story pretty much lines up with the actual town itself apart from a few fictional liberties taken. I also found it was really easy to read for younger audiences, without making it too young sounding. It’s been really fun and playful to take part in the Marlin mysteries marathon this month especially as I have been able to indulge in my creative side in making a new section of my casebook including playing with aqua brushes in my dotted journal casebook and lots of washi tape purchases (don’t tell the elf). You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. You'll have an opinion on all of them, especially Laura Marlin herself, who is an incredibly passionate, intelligent and brave young girl.

Laura made a note of the time because she had been waiting for this moment for eleven years, one month and five days and she wanted always to remember it- the hour her life began. And yet Lauren St John always stays just within the safety of Middle grade, she seeks to open minds but not horrify. It can be seen from the trail, and is just a few steps off the trail (a bit of a slope), but only a few people take the time to stop. Laura is then told that she has a long lost uncle who has offered to adopt her, and lives in st Ives.

When orphaned Laura Marlin moves from a children’s home to live with her uncle in Cornwall, she longs for a life of excitement just like the characters in her favourite detective novels. She longs for excitement in her life, although when her wish comes true she finds, like most people, that the reality isn't nearly as much fun as the dream. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average.