James R. Hannibal presents a thrilling adventure through history, complete with mysteries, secret items, codes, and a touch of magic in this stunning middle grade debut.
Thirteen-year-old Jack Buckles is great at finding things. Not just a missing glove or the other sock, but things normal people have long given up on ever seeing again. If only he could find his father, who has disappeared in London without a trace.
But Jack’s father was not who he claimed to be. It turns out that he was a member of a secret society of detectives that has served the crown for centuries—and membership into the Lost Property Office is Jack’s inheritance.
Now the only way Jack will ever see his father again is if he finds what the nefarious Clockmaker is after: the Ember, which holds a secret that has been kept since the Great Fire of London. Will Jack be able to find the Ember and save his father, or will his talent for finding things fall short?
Jack is...different. He can find things, lost things. But when his sister goes missing in London, and Jack goes to find her, he finds himself on the adventure of a lifetime instead. From flying clockwork beetles, to history and impossible legends made possible - all thanks to the family history he never knew he had. And when Jack finds out that his recently deceased dad might not be so deceased after all, well...Jack is determined to find him, too.
The Lost Property Office is a little bit fantasy, a little bit history, and a little bit Holmes & Watson all rolled in together. When the main character has an unusual disorder known as synesthesia, where senses all interconnect with each other, all things are possible. For Jack, this means he experiences things far differently from most, and this allows him to shine in a way he's never known before. Jack is an everyday kid with an unusual gift that truly stands out in the story.
The story itself is a fun ride with two teenage kids racing around London trying to solve the mystery that Jack's dad was working on when he disappeared. I can see kids starting in 4th grade being interested in this, and some who are younger listening to the book as a read-aloud. As for me, I will be interested in reading the further adventures of Jack, his new friend Gwen, and the Lost Property Office when book two is released.
