The Long Journey of Joslin de Lay by Dennis Hamley. Reviewed by Ann Turnbull.

Some years ago I was asked the review The False Father, the last in Dennis Hamley's series of six medieval murder mysteries linked by a quest story.  I can't now remember much about that story except that I enjoyed it and wished I'd read the other five first.

Now, I'm glad to say, I shall have the chance.  The books have been out of print, but Dennis Hamley is gradually reissuing them as e-books under the title The Long Journey of Joslin de Lay.

The first two books, Of Dooms and Death and A Pact with Death, are already available.  They are Kindle editions - and the covers, by Anastasia Sichkarenko, are stunning.

The books are set in the mid-1300s, when England and France were at war, and concern a 17-year-old French minstrel, Joslin de Lay, who escapes to England after the murder of his father.  England - an enemy country - might seem a bad choice, but Joslin is on a quest to find his lost mother, and his ultimate destination is Wales.  However, not only is Joslin, as a Frenchman, feared and threatened in England, but he has been followed there by a mysterious stranger.

Joslin's adventures begin in the East Anglian village of Stovenham, where two young artists from London are painting a Doom (a picture of the descent of dead souls into Hell).  He is befriended by the artists, but the locals are hostile to him.  And when a series of gruesome murders occurs, linked to the Doom, Joslin is suspected.  He is forced to flee to London, where he is immediately caught up in another series of murders, this time linked to the plague.

These fast-paced stories blend adventure, mystery, friendship and romance.  There is just enough detail about medieval life and beliefs to bring the period to life without overwhelming the narrative.  And, since Joslin is a minstrel, there are tantalising snatches of the songs he sings.  I found myself wishing the series came with a CD.

Published as a Kindle edition on Amazon, 2012.



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'The Bother in Burmeon' by S.P. Moss - reviewed by Rosalie Warren

 

The Bother in Burmeon is, in my opinion, an excellent children's book. But it's one that you may not otherwise have come across, and I think it deserves wider attention - so here goes!

S.P. Moss's debut novel is aimed at 9-12s. And what a tale it is! Young Billy, staying with his gran, finds a kaleidoscope in a box of toys in what used to be his mother's bedroom. Rather an interesting kaleidoscope as it happens, since, when Billy turns it, he is whisked back to 1962. There he meets a dashing young RAF pilot who turns out to be Billy's granddad and who, in the present day, has been dead for the past twelve years.

In spite of the shock, it doesn' t take Billy long to find his feet (and his wings, as it were) in 1962, and soon he's on the way with Grandpop to the depths of South East Asia, where he pilots a flying boat, rescues a captive tiger, comes face to face with an Indian cobra and pits his wits against a mad dictator...

It's all very real - certainly not a dream - and very convincing to read. S. P. Moss knows her stuff about the RAF (I know - I'm an RAF crewman's daughter) and she has the language of 1962 and the sights and smells of that long-lost age off pat (again, I know... my memory just about goes back that far!)

But in spite of the retro feel there is nothing old-fashioned about this tale - certainly nothing slow and ponderous. Billy's adventures unfold at (at least) Mach 3 - and whatever your age, you'll be chewing your knuckles with the excitement of it all long before the thrilling (and rather moving) end.

Climb aboard, hold tight, prepare for take-off... whoosh! away we go....

With Billy and Grandpop for company, flying out over enemy territory to battle with beasts, baddies and bombs, you'll have tons of fun with no need for screens, apps and computer games.

(And I should add that this adventure is great for girls as well as boys - yet another of those books I wish had been around when I was young!)

The Bother in Burmeon has its own wonderful website, too.

Well done to S. P. Moss and here's wishing her lots of success. Let's hope she has some sequels in the pipeline...


Title: The Bother in Burmeon
Author: S. P. Moss
Age-range: 9-12 approx
Publication date: 2012
Publisher: Circaidy Gregory Press
Price: £7.49 (paperback version); £4.11 (Amazon Kindle version). EPub edition
is available from Foyles, Blackwells and all the Hive Network stores - see publisher's website for detail.

 The Bother in Burmeon is also available direct from the publisher, Circaidy Gregory Press

This review first appeared on my own blogsite, Rosalie Reviews, a few weeks ago.

Happy reading
Best wishes
Ros

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