Young Houdini: The Silent Assassin
Simon Nicholson continues his series based on the imagined youthful career of Harry Houdini, the famous escapologist. Harry, with his friends Billie (a girl) and Arthur, is employed by a secret crime-fighting organisation, the Order of the White Crow. This episode sees them headed for England to solve the mystery of the Silent Assassin. Throughout, Harry’s talents are key. Clues are found and evil plots foiled by his dare-devil escapades. If the world of Harry Potter sometimes seems close at hand, there is no question that for this resourceful trio the magic is simply ability, nerve, and intelligence.
A prominent contributor to a charity called The Benevolent Orphans, named after the rich benefactors who were once poor orphans themselves, is murdered by gun-shot; significantly, by an entirely silent gun-shot. The Silent Assassin is responsible for this, and for other strange attacks. A corrupt police inspector and a civil war in a distant country, along with a villain who sells weapons to the wrong side, provide some modern resonance. The children must work out the facts as they go along, support themselves by their theatrical skills and race to identify the culprit. In a final twist, even the villain proves a surprise.
The period is the late 19th century. The historical details – cabs and steam trains – are slight, but the descriptions can be vivid: ‘a potted gingko tree rose in the garden’s centre; a wrought-iron table stood… on a chamomile lawn’. The pace, action and plot, as well as the sheer zest of the children’s ruses, are what carry this story along; and despite the dark themes, their mutual trust and reliance adds warmth.
This novel combines the detective pleasures of a Sherlock Holmes story with the excitement of a James Bond thriller. Suitable for girls and boys, 10-14 years old.
