Emmy can't wait to get back to Wellsworth, the boarding school where she made the first best friends of her life, was plunged into an environment of academic rigor, and was almost murdered by the school's head of security, a man named Jonas. She's hoping the last bit is over and done with. Jonas, saw her throw the medallions her father, another order member, had entrusted her with, that would unlock the treasure trove of the order, into the ocean, and he no longer works at the school. So she's glad to catch up with Lola and Jack, and glad to get to know Jack's very appealing new room-mate...
She doesn't get much chance to be a happy, ordinary student. Lola is framed for theft after the money raised by the school fundraiser disappears, and she's expelled from school. Emmy and Jack are determined to clear her name. They suspect the snooty Latin Club, the feeder group for the order, and with Jack's room-mate enlisted to help (he has excellent hacker skills and also the social credentials to be accepted by the club), they set to work.
But then Jonas re-emerges, and begins to threaten Emmy again. He wants to find out where Emmy's father is, something Emmy herself doesn't know, and he's not quite convinced she doesn't still have the medallions. And he makes it clear that he will hurt the people she cares about if she doesn't cooperate....
It's an exciting mystery, with a pleasantly middle grade gothic feel to it at times, ending up in a big showdown at a map exhibit at the British Library (I do love it when old maps are involved!), and although the immediate dangers of this installment are resolved, there's clearly room for more (I say hopefully....). The characters are relatable to anyone in middle school, yet the British boarding school is a strange and fascinating setting for (most) American kids, and it will feel almost like a fantasy setting, what with the mysterious sinister Order and the medallions that can unlock lost passageways (nb: it is not fantasy). The danger picks up at a nice tempo, building toward an exciting rush at the end. Emmy is a great main character--she is not particularly gifted (she's no Nancy Drew character of ridiculous competence), but she is a loyal, determined friend, a good soccer player, and smart enough to figure out important clues.
Particularly recommended to young Anglophile fans of school stories who love fantasy for its adventures and escape from real life, who might be looking for a break from magical gifts and spells. I enjoyed it lots as a grown-up, and would have loved it as a young reader.
disclaimer: review copy (gratefully, and with pleased excitement) received from the publisher.
Oh, my, this sounds delicious. I do love a boarding school book and Ilove mysteries. Thanks for the heads up.
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