Secrets, Spies & Sherlock Blog Tour: Excerpt, Review & Giveaway

Welcome to Day 8 of the SECRETS, SPIES & SHERLOCK BLOG TOUR, featuring two exciting new middle grade mystery series: Sherlock, Lupin & Me: The Dark Lady by Irene Adler and Secrets & Spies: Treason by Jo Macauley. Each stop on the 2-week tour will feature fun posts and a chance to win a set of finished copies of the books!  Today’s post features Treason by Jo Macauley.
Excerpt:

(A little background on John: Junior clerk at the Navy Board, handsome John imagines himself in more daring, adventurous circumstances, and he soon has the opportunity when he meets Beth Johnson and becomes part of her gang of spies.)

Clutching the accounts, John made his way back up to the top floor of the building. His nerve faltered somewhat as he stood before that great oak door again, but he was boosted by imagining Beth was watching him, impressed by his bold move. He knocked firmly. There was no reply, but the door had not been closed properly and it swung open as soon as his knuckles made contact, revealing an apparently empty office. John pulled back for a moment and checked that the corridor was clear, trying all the time to bring his nerves under control. He would leave the accounts on Jones’s desk and come back again later to inquire about Will. He took a cautious step inside, then a couple more. 

The sight that met his eyes stopped him dead in his tracks. Arthur Jones’s chair lay on the floor on its side. Papers from his desk were strewn around it, splashed with black ink from an upturned inkpot and red ink from . . . John felt his heart begin to thump against his ribs. He walked over to the desk and took a closer look at the papers. That wasn’t red ink. It was blood! It was splattered all over the table and the papers, forming a trail across the floor. John dropped his accounts down onto the desk. What on earth had happened here? The bloody trail led to a door at the back of the room. He had no idea what — or who — was on the other side, but he knew that he ought to investigate. Something very bad had surely happened here and he couldn’t just walk away and do nothing, however much he might want to. John followed the blood trail right to the door and turned the handle. It opened onto a narrow, dimly-lit passageway. Taking a deep breath, he set off into the shadowy corridor, where he could just make out the trail of vivid red splats going all the way along the passageway and around a corner. They looked like circular warning signs surrounded by crimson exclamation marks that spoke of danger. It was only when the trail came to an end that John looked up. What he saw made his heart stop.

END

Enter below for a chance to win Treason and find out what John found at the end of that trail, as well as a copy of The Dark Lady by Irene Adler!

***Stop by Through the Looking Glass tomorrow for the next stop on the SECRETS, SPIES & SHERLOCK BLOG TOUR and another chance to win!***

Secrets, Spies & Sherlock Blog Tour Schedule:

February 24th: The Dark Lady at The Write Path

February 25th: Treason at I Read Banned Books

February 26th: The Dark Lady at Buried in Books

February 27th: Treason at Loves2Read

February 28th: The Dark Lady at Akossiwa Ketoglo

March 3rd: Treason at GeoLibrarian

March 4th: The Dark Lady at Bookshelf Banter

March 5th: Treason at Candace’s Book Blog

March 6th:  The Dark Lady at Through the Looking Glass

March 7th: Treason at Unconventional Librarian

About Secrets & Spies: Treason by Jo Macauley:

Fourteen-year-old Beth Johnson is a talented and beautiful young actress. She is also a spy. The year is 1664, and Charles II is on the throne, but all is not well in the bustling city of London, and there are those who would gladly kill the king and destroy the Monarchy. One morning, a mysterious ghost ship drifts up the Thames. Sent to investigate by the King's Master of Secrets, Alan Strange, Beth quickly finds herself embroiled in a dangerous adventure. Will Beth be able to unravel the plot to kill the King before it's too late?

Amazon/Barnes & Noble

About Sherlock, Lupin & Me: The Dark Lady by Irene Adler:

While on summer vacation, little Irene Adler meets a young William Sherlock Holmes. The two share stories of pirates and have battles of wit while running wild on the sunny streets and rooftops. When Sherlock's friend, Lupin, joins in on the fun, they all become fast friends. But the good times end abruptly when a dead body floats ashore on the nearby beach. The young detective trio will have to put all three of their heads together to solve this mystery.

Amazon/Barnes & Noble

Treason (Secrets and Spies #1) by Jo MacAuley

Paperback, 225 pages

Source: Publisher

Fourteen-year-old Beth Johnson is a talented and beautiful young actress. She is also a spy. The year is 1664, and Charles II is on the throne, but all is not well in the bustling city of London, and there are those who would gladly kill the king and destroy the Monarchy. One morning, a mysterious ghost ship drifts up the Thames. Sent to investigate by the King’s Master of Secrets, Alan Strange, Beth quickly finds herself embroiled in a dangerous adventure. Will Beth be able to unravel the plot to kill the King before it’s too late?

I was really excited to read this because Secrets and Spies.  I mean, that right there had me saying yes to this one.  While I do enjoy middle grade books it seems like sometimes the historical ones just don't have enough oomph for me. I tend to feel they lack in something to really make them great.  There are a few though that I've loved over the years. Bloody Jack (the series) is one of them and this book might not have been quite as amazing, but it was pretty darn great!  This might be technically middle grade, but it works fine for YA readers.  It's just clean and maybe less creepy than it could be as YA or Adult.

Beth is 14 years old, but I would have guessed 17.  Of course back then 14 was old enough to do quite a lot and so it works just fine that she's so mature.  She is an actress and a spy and in this book she uncovers a plot to kill the King.  Along the way we get to see London a bit through her eyes, which was a pleasant experience, as always.

We also meet John who is a bit shy and timid.  We see that he's brave inside, he just has to tap into it.  He's a bright kid, but hasn't been given a chance to really show his strengths. Strengths he never knew he had.  We also meet Ralph, who has a very strong personality and adds  a lot of fun to the story.  We have some other side characters that were less important, but they all played their roles perfectly.

This book had it's more intense moments, but it was still a light and fun book.  I'll be very curious and anxious to continue the series!

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

One set of the books: Sherlock, Lupin & Me: The Dark Lady and Secrets & Spies: Treason

Open to US only.

Must be 13 or older to enter.

Giveaway provided by the publisher.

 

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