A super mystery: Dead Man's Cove by Lauren St. John

Dead Man's Cove is a brilliant mystery story, one of the best and let me tell you - I've read a LOT of mysteries. Orphan Laura has the opportunity of a lifetime when she finds out that Social Services have found her long-lost uncle living far away in St. Ives: a rather mysterious fellow he is, he might be kind and generous to Laura but he is definitely hiding some secrets away. St. Ives is a strange place itself perfect for the residents in it. Laura is lonely at first until she meets Tariq the shopkeeper's son, she is delighted but their friendship ends when she finds out that he has been hiding a few secrets himself.
 Laura begins to regret that wish she made: 'What I want,' Laura declared, 'is to have a life packed with excitement like some of the characters in my books.'

I love this book so much - a few times I thought I knew the mystery but Lauren kept bringing along some very unexpected twists and turns in the story so it was like the biggest rollercoaster in the biggest theme park. Of course you know how much I love mysteries but that also means I've read a lot and had high expectations for this book. And it certainly didn't disappoint: I couldn't put it down till I'd finished and then I felt sad that it was all gone. Fortunately it is a series of books so I'm not finished just yet - I can't wait to get my hands on the next tale: Kidnap in the Caribbean.

I totally recommend this for all fans of mystery aged from 8-13, boys and girls and I promise you will not regret walking out of Waterstones, or wherever you buy books, clutching a copy of Dead Man's Cove.  Thanks to my mum's friend Jo for giving this to me when they came to visit the other day (which was zard fun by the way!)