Wild Boy

London, 1841
A boy covered in hair, raised as a monster, condemned to life in a travelling freak show.
A boy with extraordinary powers of observation and detection.
A boy accused of murder; on the run; hungry for the truth.
BEHOLD THE SAVAGE SPECTACLE OF WILD BOY!!
Ladies and Gentlemen, take your seats. The show is about to begin.
Wild Boy is an extremely likeable character, and I found myself rooting for him from the off. Abandoned, psychologically abused, beaten, socially isolated and enslaved to a travelling freak show, my heart broke for him. But, despite what life has repeatedly taught him, he maintains his optimism and hopes for a better life. His sense of fairness, of right and wrong and his humour shines through the grime and sordidness of his environment.
An undelivered letter, the wrong place, the wrong time and our diamond in the rough finds himself falsely accused of murder and running for his life. With only his amazing skills of observation and deduction, and a reluctant partnership with his “arch enemy” Clarissa, a flamed haired, lock picking acrobat, Wild Boy must find the real culprit and clear his name.
The feisty characters and non-stop action, the Holmes like deduction and macabre Victorian backdrop, the secret passages and mad scientists – I loved every minute of this middle grade mystery and I really hope that this first of many adventures with Wild boy and “circus fiend” Clarissa.
Verdict: Fantastic middle grade mystery
Reviewed by Caroline