The Golden Monkey Mystery (Secrets of the Snakestone)

Roma Moreau's dual mission is to release a captive monkey into the wild and persuade her father, a French army captain, to let her study at medical school. Roma's French mother died in childbirth and she is determined that 'no other woman must die'. She is also accompanied on her mission by talking cat, Birala, Max and Arabella (both 'feringhees' - foreigners), but hampered by the dacoits.

There is so much to love in The Golden Monkey Mystery! The blend of fact (about wildlife and 1880s India) and fiction; the mythical references (to Shashkti, Robin Hood, the Rod of Asclepius & Hippocrates, etc) which are sprinkled like exotic spices throughout; descriptions which evoke the sounds, sights and smells of India; and the author's deft, humorous style - uncomplicated, yet with plenty left to the reader's imagination and intelligence.

She has clearly drawn on her own childhood experience in India, and, I imagine, her own medical and literary education. Her use of simile and collective nouns is a delight. The concluding pages contain an excerpt from Secrets of the Snakestone, the precious (some would say, 'cursed' ) gemstone which looms large in The Golden Monkey Mystery. The Q&A at the end of the book helpfully explains how this and other books in the 'cycle' fit together (the order doesn't matter), as well as offering some interesting background and the author's own book recommendations.

Two small quibbles: why no glossary? And why no obvious credit to the illustrators, who have done a brilliant job? The monochrome ambigrams are so playful; the cover so vivid. A gold star adventure. A real treasure that will find many children aged 8+ eager to read more in the same vein. It would make a great class read, too, perhaps alongside teaching about the British Empire.

256 pages / Reviewed by Jane Rew, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 9+

Roma lives permanently at Miss Oliphant's School for Young Ladies in the middle of the Kalabon jungle. Her mother died in childbirth and Roma dreams of becoming a doctor and specialising in treating women. Unfortunately, all the places are reserved for men. Undeterred Roma does all she can to educate herself by reading as much as she can about science, medicine and traditional remedies. She learns so much about Indian flora and fauna that when she stumbles across a rare golden monkey, she knows at once it is far from its secret home somewhere in the Himalayas. Without stopping to think, she follows it, determined to help it return. The path is beset by danger - bandits, big cats on the prowl, and, overshadowing everything, the sinister curse of the snakestone. Can she decipher the secrets of a map so cryptic it seems useless? Can she guide the monkey and herself back to safety?

The twists and turns of The Golden Monkey Mystery unfold against the luscious setting of the Indian jungle about a hundred years ago. It's broadly realistic, embellished by just a few intriguingly fantastical details like the talking cat with mismatched eyes. These enrich rather than distract from the plot, adding to the sense of mystery.

Although there were slightly too many adjectives and similes for my taste, there is no denying that the landscape is sensuously and vividly described. Meanwhile, optical illusions presented in graphic line drawings are interspersed throughout the story and add another layer of interest.

Roma's headstrong but endearing character is based on real-life examples of pioneering women, in the author's family and beyond. She is three-dimensional and inspiring. Her side-kicks, two naive and pampered colonial children, are more stereotypical, with Arabella bearing more than a passing resemblance to Violet Elizabeth Bott (she even threatens to scream until she's sick). They do, however, make Roma seem even more full of life.

The Golden Monkey Mystery is a cracking adventure story set in the traditional mould that will appeal to fans of Nizrana Farook and Natasha Farrant - and Enid Blyton too. I thoroughly recommend it.

256 pages / Reviewed by Louisa Farrow, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+