The Forbidden Atlas (Isaac Turner Investigates)

By Author / Illustrator

Sam Sedgman

Genre

Mystery & Detective

Age range(s)

Publisher

Bloomsbury Children's Books

ISBN

9781526665430

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

27-02-2025

Synopsis

The exhilarating sequel to The Clockwork Conspiracy, Isaac Turner is back for another action-packed mystery adventure.

Isaac and Hattie have been invited to a high-profile event at the French National Archives in Paris to finally celebrate their achievement in saving time. But as Isaac prepares to make his speech, the lights go out and a single shot is fired.

The police think it was an assassination attempt on the infamous businessman Balthazar Blaise, but Isaac and Hattie realise that something very different is going on when they discover a boy taking something from the archives before vanishing without a trace. As they investigate, Isaac and Hattie are pulled into an underground world, searching secret and forgotten places for a stolen letter, a missing sister and a map that will unearth a long buried secret...

'An ingenious mystery' - A. F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, on THE CLOCKWORK CONSPIRACY

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Reviews

Sue

Isaac and Hattie are in Paris at the National Archives, waiting to be presented with a special medal for rescuing the world's clocks from disaster when a gunshot sets them off on another adventure, this time on the greatest treasure hunt in history - the legendary hidden treasure of King Louis XV1. As their search leads them into the maze of tunnels beneath Paris, the children find themselves pursued by a ruthless killer in a high-stakes race to discover the treasure - and save Paris.

Sam Sedgman has done it again with another gripping, beautifully written adventure which has all the thrills and spills, twists and turns readers have come to expect from his stories. The Forbidden Atlas is rich in history and detail as well as being a first rate, tension filled mystery.

A perfect balance of engaging characters allows Sam Sedgman to share so much information about Paris, the legend of Louis XVI's treasure, the catacombs and maps, weaving this effortlessly into the story as each character shares their knowledge and understanding. Isaac, less impetuous and daring perhaps than Hattie, is full of scientific understanding, the love of learning and a determination to do the right thing Hattie is bursting with confidence and intelligence, quick to action and impulsive. Leon, who they meet on this adventure, has an insider's knowledge of Paris and its secrets.

As each shares what they know, the reader learns so much, gaining a deeper understanding of both the story and its setting. Additional information from the author at the end of the book clarifies where Sam Sedgman has 'strayed from the path of truth for the sake of a good story'!

Like the first book in this series, The Clockwork Conspiracy, The Forbidden Atlas is an ingenious mystery, which will keep readers guessing and questioning every step of the way. It would make a cracking class story - one chapter (there are twenty - like the twenty arrondissements of Paris!) would never be enough! Fortunately, the ending gives a tantalising clue about the next story, The Galileo Heist… I can't wait!

384 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher