Bodyguard: Ransom (Book 2)

An action-packed thriller with wide appeal; it's got the guns and knives, the explosions, the near misses and the suspense, but it also has strong characters both male and female. This is the second book in the Bodyguard series, but it works well as a stand-alone novel. Connor Reeves is our all-action teen hero who secretly works as a teenage bodyguard, the premise being that teens are much more low-profile and inconspicuous as bodyguards for teenage clients. He and his team are engaged to protect the twin daughters of a media mogul while they holiday in the Seychelles on their luxury yacht. Conner embarks on his assignment hoping that the biggest threat will be sunburn, but his skills are soon put to the test. The yacht gets boarded by Somali pirates, Connor gets shot in the ensuing gunfight and the twins are taken hostage. Everyone mistakenly thinks that Connor was killed, but he survived and hides. Once he finds out that the pirates will kill the girls anyway, even after the ransom is paid, Connor realises that his training, his element of surprise and a lot of luck provides their only chance of rescue and survival. For a high-octane thriller there is also much to make you think (if you want to) as the issue of piracy and why it happens is touched on and explored from several viewpoints. There is a young Somali boy who doesn't want anything to do with the trade, but gets caught up in it, there is the lead pirate Spearhead who loves the thrill of the chase and wouldn't give it up even after making his fortune, and then there is Emily, one of the twins, who has already been held to ransom once before and is terrified. Overall a great read, with a brilliant and unexpected twist. 425 pages / Ages 11+ / Reviewed by Melanie Chadwick, school librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 11+