There are some interesting and unusual features to this novel. It is set in England, just after the 2nd World War. Families are struggling without husbands who died on the battle field, soldiers who have returned face the challenge of lost jobs or wounds. Not every character we meet is admirable. There are crooks, school bullies, and police who leap too quickly to conclusions.
Johnny has only his Mum to look after him. He is obsessed with making money to help his Mum, and is a bright boy, so starts his own private scheme of placing ads in local papers that promise impressive outcomes (“make your money go further”) but delivers only a slip of paper saying “roll it down a hill”. He makes up a number of lies to ensure he can cash postal notes and place the ads.
While all this is happening he finds out about TB (tuberculosis), and discovers that his friend, a local retired doctor, is actually experimenting with a vaccine illegally imported from France. The doctor disappears, then a few days later Johnny’s world comes tumbling down. His lies are uncovered, and his friend the doctor is murdered! To make matters worse his mother is suspected of killing the doctor.
The rest of the story unrolls in a somewhat predictable manner. It is certainly a “ripping yarn” rather than a thought provoking narrative, and some of the story links depend on unlikely co-incidences. Still, I read to the end and was interested enough in the detail of the story. There is a puzzling unevenness that I can’t quite explain. Johnny is a likable enough character, and there is plenty of imagination in the details of the story. However I thought the detective/mystery second half depended on a character revelation that was not flagged in any way, so it seemed rather like an author’s manipulation rather than something the reader could understand.
The book would suit younger teens looking for some mystery and adventure writing in a well painted modern historical setting. There is little for parents to be concerned about by way of language or themes, though of course there is at least one murder and a good deal of nasty adult behaviour.
Andrew Lack
Head of the Odell Learning Resources Centre.
