Danger & Diamonds Review

Danger & Diamonds: A Mystery At Sea – Book Review

Author: Randy

We recently had the opportunity to preview a number of children’s books by renowned author, Elizabeth Levy. With over ninety books behind her, she embarked on a bold new series, entitled “A Mystery at Sea”. Of course, this seemed like the perfect complement to our new book – Cruising With Kids, so we thought we’d give the first book in the series, Danger & Diamonds, a read. You may be surprised at what we discovered.

Danger & Diamonds

This high-seas mystery takes the reader through 148 pages of mayhem and adventure as the children of two crew members decode the odd behavior of mysterious guests from the distant country of Borgunlund. The mysterious passengers aren’t the only people onboard with a secret – enter Philip, the young son of the SS Excalibur’s new captain. The young and sassy Philippa, whose parents also work onboard, just loves a good mystery. Will she be able to dodge the danger that results from her insatiable curiosity? Will Philip be able to keep his secret from Philippa? Will the mysterious guests get what they came for or will they be foiled by the meddling ways of the two “junior crew”? Mystery, intrigue and a healthy dose of fun takes you from sea to shore and back.

The book is separated into fifteen easy to read chapters, each featuring a unique eye-catching black and white illustration courtesy of famed author-illustrator Mordicai Gerstein. The sophisticated cover art entices its tween audience (aged 9-11) to open the book and begin reading. Although the first few chapters are spent setting the scene and providing character background, it isn’t long before the intrigue begins. This is an easy read for young adults with a few words sprinkled in that will expand their vocabulary. Having grown up with the love for a good mystery, we can easily see this series becoming the modern day version of the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew mysteries.

If your kids are like our kids, you probably have hundreds of books on the shelves, each one offering a new adventure for curious minds of all ages. Danger & Diamonds leaps to the top of our list for mystery-loving tweens and any family who wants to get their kids excited about an upcoming cruise.

Danger & Diamonds is available for purchase through your local bookstore or online at Amazon.com.

A second book in the series, Parrots & Pirates, is scheduled to be released in early November.

We received complimentary copies of several of Ms. Levy’s books for review and will post additional reviews in the coming months.