Synopsis (from
the publisher):
In this swashbuckling misadverture, brave Jake Moustachio is quickly
learning to control the powers of his magical magnifying glass -- and
not a moment too soon! The fate of our young detectives, their precious
guinea pig, Sandy, and their not-so-fearless cat, Rex, is starting to
reveal itself, as they are tossed into a double-crossing, fantastic
world on the high seas.
Earth's End is waiting for the mystery-solving foursome as they
navigate an ocean full of dangerous suspects, sailing about on the
other side of the magnifying glass.
Captain Snappy, a cranky pirate, calls upon the Moustachios to break
the curse cast upon his ship and crew by the wicked sea witch Jezebel.
But the evil Baron Von Snodgrass and his unrecognizable, evil partner
are also sailing among the tumultuous waves of the sea, more determined
than ever to stop the young detectives from fulfilling their destiny.
Only two adventurous kids can solve the puzzle to reverse the curse and
save the cosmos from its impending doom.
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— ◊ —
The Curse of Shipwreck Bottom
The
Misadventures of Inspector Moustachio
Wayne
Madsen
Community Press (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-9797572-2-3 (0979757223)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9797572-2-8 (9780979757228)
Publication Date: November 2008
List Price: $16.99
— ◊ —
Review: Jake and
his sister Alexa head off on another misadventure on the other side of
the magnifying glass in The Curse of
Shipwreck Bottom, the third mystery in this series for 9- to
11-year-old readers by Wayne Madsen.
While playing a game of Go Fish (but of course), the magnifying glass
comes alive with the image of Cap'n Snappy, who relates to the young
detectives a tale of the battle between the evil sea witch Jezebel and
King Neptune for control of the kingdom of Atlantis. After Jezebel
captured Atlantis and banished it into a magical seashell, King Neptune
captured her, trapping her in another seashell. Pirates are now
searching for Jezebel's shell to release her, and together gain control
of the Seven Seas. But Cap'n Snappy needs help stopping them and pleads
with Inspector Moustachio and his investigative team to join him and
his crew to save the world from the evil that lies at Earth's End.
The Curse of Shipwreck Bottom,
like the earlier books in this series, have a Wizard of Oz or Alice in
Wonderland style (and appeal) to them. Jake (Inspector Moustachio) and
Alexa (Inspector Girl), together with their cat Rex (critter detective)
and guinea pig Sandy (pet detective in training), meet a number of
imaginative and unusual people and creatures (they're really one and
the same on the other side of the magnifying glass) on their journey to
Earth's End. Like him or love him, and there's probably little reader
emotion in-between, Rex is frequently the center of attention. His
"We're doooooooomed", a typical response to any given situation, gets a
little tiresome, though.
The plot of The Curse of Shipwreck
Bottom is straight-forward though the path taken is somewhat
serpentine; younger readers may have a hard time following some of the
action. The riddles the team must solve add interest to their quest. In
the end, Jake knows a bit more about the mystery behind the magnifying
glass but realizes he has much to learn. Fortunately he'll have another
chance to expand his knowledge in the next book in the series, The Secret of the Pharoah's Feline;
Rex ought to really be in his element here!
Special thanks to Community Press for providing a copy of The Curse of Shipwreck Bottom for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read The Curse of Shipwreck Bottom? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
The Case of Stolen Time
Community Press (Hardcover), August 2007
ISBN-10: 0-9790878-9-9 (0979087899)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9790878-9-9 (9780979087839)
The Mystery at Comanche Canyon
Community Press (Trade Paperback), March 2008
ISBN-10: 0-9790878-8-0 (0979087880)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9790878-8-2 (9780979087882)
The Curse of Shipwreck Bottom
Community Press (Trade Paperback), November 2008
ISBN-10: 0-9797572-2-3 (0979757223)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9797572-2-8 (9780979757228)
Omnimystery keywords for The Curse of Shipwreck Bottom ...
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