This story begins on New Year's Eve in a palace in India. Violet is busy helping herself to a large plate of chicken curry, rice, dhal and samosas and anything else she can cram onto it, from a long table groaning under the weight of umpteen dishes of deliciousness.
Published by Simon and Schuster in March 2015
Summary
Meet Violet Remy-Robinson, an amateur Sherlock Holmes in the making...Violet has spent her Easter holiday exploring India with Godmother Celeste, including visiting Celeste's good friend the Maharajah and meeting his very special parrot. And when she returns home, only to get a visit from the Maharajah's butler, asking her to look after the parrot, Violet couldn't be more surprised (and her cat Pudding couldn't be less pleased…). But as Violet discovers, the parrot holds the key to the Maharajah's fortune, and someone is trying to parrot-nap her! Can she discover who the culprit is before they succeed? Violet is on the case…
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What a delightful book! Everything about this book, makes you want to hug it. This is the one I will be buying several copies of and giving out as presents this year. It really is the whole package. Do not buy this book as an Ebook, as it is too beautiful to miss out on as a hard back. The cover is stroke worthy and the detailed llustrations on the cover and through out from Becka Moor need to be looked at again and again.
The story is simply gorgeous. I adored Violet straightaway. She is the type of kid I would've loved to have been. when I was younger - lucky enough to travel the world at such a young age and see so many interesting sights. She is gutsy, determined and extremely charming, not to mention adorable. She does has some rather unusual hobbies though. You don't normally imagine a girl at her age being a bit of an expert at poker, as well as the fine art of bluffing. She is a kid that cares. She wants to do the right thing, and is only too happy to look after the Maharajah's parrot, until the new heir is named. When someone sets out to steal Maharani, she won't stop at anything to protect him and bring him home safely.
Violet is surrounded by a rather eccentric cast of characters, who are extremely well off and have come from all over the world. Before I started to read the book, I'd convinced myself it was set in the 1920's. Once I got into it, I realised I didn't have a clue when it was set. It has such a timeless feel to it, but then you get the odd snippets of modern society, such as the mention of Pot Noodles.
Reading one of Violet's adventures, is like stepping into another world. I really hope there will be many more adventures with Violet over the next few years.
At the risk of being called a pedant (don't worry, I've been called worse), I think the parrot's a she, not a he. The blurb says they're out to kidnap her but the giveaway is the name as Maharani is the female to Maharajah, like Marquess to Marquis.
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of being called a pedant (don't worry, I've been called worse), I think the parrot's a she, not a he. The blurb says they're out to kidnap her but the giveaway is the name as Maharani is the female to Maharajah, like Marquess to Marquis.
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