The Firebird Mystery: A Jack Mason Adventure (A Jack Mason Adventure, #1)

by Darrell Pitt

Jack Mason has grown up as an acrobat in a circus. Now, after the tragic death of his parents, he must live inside the gloomy walls of Sunnyside Orphanage in London, a city of fog and snow, filled with airships, steam cars and metro towers that stretch into space. Luckily for Jack, he's taken under the wing of the brilliant and eccentric detective Ignatius Doyle. A girl named Scarlet Bell comes seeking the great detective's help. Her father has been kidnapped, and the future of the world itself may be at stake. Is the evil hand of Professor M pulling all the strings? Mr Doyle and Jack know there is no time to lose.

• ISBN10: 1922147753
• ISBN13: 9781922147752
• Publish Date: 26 February 2014
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 16 March 2021
• Publish Country: AU
• Publisher: Text Publishing
• Imprint: The Text Publishing Company
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 344
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kelly]

3.5 Stars
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/03/the-firebird-mystery-jack-mason.html
The Firebird Mystery was charming, witty and intelligently written. I haven't read many steampunk novels, but this middle grade addition to the genre was incredibly enchanting and entertaining. The book follows orphan Jack, plucked from a questionable children's home and thrown into the world of crime solving. Mister Doyle has faith in Jack's abilities and provides the emotional stability that Jack desperately needs.

But Mister Doyle is the clear star of The Firebird Mystery, his constant testing of Jack's observational skills is hilarious. Nailing a piece of toast above a door, putting together a spy kit with a nose disguise, to storing cheese in his pocket for random snacking. Although he's described as being well past middle aged, his character reminded me of a quirky Johnny Depp type character. Fabulously eccentric.

Scarlett isn't without her fans. In a time of modest women, she's a trailblazer for teen girls. She's feisty and can hold her own, despite Jack's need to protect her. This series no doubt will be a huge hit for early teens, the writing is intelligent and Darrell Pit has created characters that challenge and provoke readers to invest in the storyline.