Jack of Spades
By Sophie Masson
With cover and internal illustrations by Yvonne Low
Published by Eagle Books
Released April 3, 2017.
ISBN: 9780994528001
Paperback
Genres: Suspense, historical, thrillers, adventure
RRP: $19.99
SHORTLISTED FOR 2018 DAVITT AWARD
About the book:
May 1910…
Linda’s father is missing in Paris, and her only clue is the Jack of Spades card that was sent to their home in London. In the family code, ‘Jack of Spades’ means danger. But it is not her father’s handwriting on the envelope!
Setting out to look for him, Linda is soon whirled into a frightening world where nothing is as it seems. Who are the people following her? What was her father really doing in Paris? Who can she really trust? As she works against time to try and solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance with the help of some new friends, Linda begins to realise that she has stumbled into a dark and dangerous conspiracy which threatens the future of the whole world…
A gripping, original thriller for older readers by award-winning author Sophie Masson.
Also available in Dyslexic, Braille, Large Print and Daisy editions at Read How You Want.
About the author:
Born in Indonesia to French parents and brought up in Australia and France, Sophie Masson is the award-winning and internationally-published author of over 60 books, for children, young adults and adults.
Her work ranges over many genres, from historical to contemporary fiction, fantasy to thrillers, novels to picture books, as well as essays, short stories and poetry.
Author site: www.sophiemassonauthor.com
Blog: www.firebirdfeathers.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SophieMassonAuthor/
Instagram: @sophievmasson
About the illustrator:
Yvonne Low is a writer, illustrator and award-winning artist, who is inspired by
nature and loves to discover overlooked surprises in everyday life. She enjoys
playing with words and colours and exploring new ways to illuminate and
communicate. Her illustrations are whimsical, often have a dash of humour and
always try to tell a story. Yvonne works in pencil and watercolour and dabbles in acrylic, pastel, pen and ink and Chinese brush painting.
Yvonne’s work has featured in The School Magazine, she has illustrated for ABC
Commercial and her work can be seen at http://www.scbwi.org, http://www.thestylefile.com
and on her website http://www.yvonnelow.com.
Website: http://www.yvonnelow.com
Twitter: @YLcreate
Selected reviews:
‘Nobody weaves history, romance and adventure like Sophie Masson’ (Anthony Horowitz)
This thrilling book is just right for curling up on the lounge to read. It has so many twists, turns and unexpected surprises that it’s hard to keep up. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story. I highly recommend that you put it on your next book list! (Good Reading magazine, June 2017)
An entertaining spy story with a determined heroine at its centre…This is an interesting period of history and Sophie Masson has done her research well. (Magpies magazine, March 2017)
Rosalind Duke is just the kind of plucky heroine I love at the centre of my historical fiction. She’s happy to step outside the social norms of her time and she keeps a cool head about her in thrilling circumstances. And there are plenty to be found in this fast-paced adventure. Sophie Masson is a champion at weaving intrigue and adventure with strong, memorable characters and a touch of romance. (Kids’ Book Review, April 19, 2017)
Recommended for older YA readers this is a carefully-crafted, well-written and fast-paced thriller that involves a young sixteen-year old bilingual English girl who travels to France to help her hapless (she thinks) Shakespearian-scholar father who seems to be calling out to her. Instead, she finds herself befriended by a handsome hero, ensconced in a guesthouse full of young people from different backgrounds, and, ultimately, involved in a strange tale of espionage with nothing less than nihilistic threats to the stability of Europe at stake by assassinations of its leaders. Within this set up Linda happens upon people murdered, betrayals, suspicion, suspense, the usual inscrutable British handlers, and assorted odd and engaging characters. She shows huge resourcefulness and resilience, loyalty and good sense, and is overall a great role model for modern women, although they might not ever have to deal with spy rings. It is a real page turner and if the end is just a little predictable well, surprise endings in novels as in life are not always all they are cracked up to be. Along the way are vignettes of Parisian life and a lot of action and a bit of romance which all add up to a jolly good read. (Sisters in Crime website review, 2018)
