Royal Rabbits of London: The Great Diamond Chase

At Buckingham Place, the headquarters of the Royal Rabbits of London, Shylo Tawny has fallen asleep whilst on duty. It is his responsibility to protect the palace but his secret hiding place in the permits of the Queen's curtains was so comfortable, he dozed off. While he slumbered, thieves entered the state rooms and stole the Queen's favourite jewel, the Siberian Diamond. Shamefully, Shylo explains to his superiors what happened and humbly hopes that he will be allowed to help recover the stolen treasure. Having been on many adventures in the past, battling against corgis, rats and foxes, Shylo has proven himself to be both brave and reliable but this mission may require even more skill. Underneath number 10 Downing Street, Shylo meets with fellow Royal Rabbits and foxes at the Fox Club. Whilst sipping butterscotch on the rocks they discuss the matter in hand and their suspicions about the jewel thieves. Whilst the Royal Rabbits suspect the Russians may be involved, the foxes are swift to dispel rumours in order to keep foreign relations intact. When reports emerged that Minks from the Kremlin have been spotted in London, the Royal Rabbits suspicions appeared to be confirmed. However, Shylo's instincts tell him not to trust the obvious. When Horatio, Shylo's friend from the countryside and General Nelson's brother, returns to the Grand Burrow, Shylo appears to have a supportive brother-in-arms. Together, Shylo and Horatio, try to discover the true identity of the diamond thieves. Through disguise, wit and a huge amount of bravery, they contend with ferocious minks, wolves and a spoilt Siberian Tigress; enemies they could never imagine defeating without working together. They uncover a complicated plot, where the real thief of the diamond turns out to be someone completely unexpected. The Royal Rabbits of London books have a charming and inspiring hero; they are fast paced and full of humour. With so many lessons for a young buck rabbit to learn, readers will easily identify with such a courageous character. Readers are unlikely to anticipate the real culprit of this diamond mystery and will enjoy discovering where the story leads. Even once the mystery is solved, readers will also enjoy learning how to stop a thief, how to spot a mink from the Kremlin and how to go undercover. As the third book in the Royal Rabbits series, readers will enjoy this tale just as much as the previous books and can look forward to a fourth book later in 2019! The perfect adventure story for newly independent readers. 224 pages / Ages 7-10 years / Reviewed by Emily Beale, librarian

Suggested Reading Age 7+