Luke Hollands is a former lion tamer, motorcycle stunt-rider
and ruler of a small South American country. He is also a
compulsive liar. He learnt how to tell tall tales while
interviewing famous politicians, celebrities and criminals as a
newspaper journalist.
Thinking he should get a proper job he joined the BBC. Since then
he has produced and presented quirky radio documentaries, appeared
in the odd drama and danced on television dressed as a giant bear.
He now makes wildlife films, some of which he briefly appears in,
and has travelled the world, swimming in shark-infested waters,
tramping through crocodile-stuffed lagoons and being eaten alive by
various species of nibbling insect.
Surprisingly for Luke, everything apart from the first sentence of
this biography is actually true.
“Such a great fast paced book... FUN FUN read!!!” ? Michelle
Parsons, Librarian, USA
“One hell of a lot of fun! Readers of all ages will gobble up this
non-stop rip roaring adventure – don’t miss this one!” – Bill
Baker, Educator, USA
“I am so excited to discover an adventure book with a boy for the
protagonist/narrator. Peregrine is such a great character and one I
think middle grade students (especially boys) will fall in love
with. The story is highly imaginative and original, and I love how
the plot was fast paced.” ? The Hopeful Heroine Blog
“Part Sherlock Holmes. Part Indiana Jones. Peregrine Harker and the
Black Death was a quick, enjoyable read. I could easily see my
former students or future patrons flying through this book ... A
great middle-grade mystery novel that will keep readers hooked from
the first page. Well done!” ? Jenni French, Librarian, USA
“Thank you Luke Hollands for a great book. The pace of this book
was quick and for mystery lovers, fairly easy to see who was behind
all that happened to Peregrine. Luke threw in two great twists in
the end that were great. I believe for my young boys who are
reluctant readers, they will enjoy the story and pace of it. I will
be purchasing this for my middle school library” – Jennifer
Cubbage, Educator, USA
“... The most engaging thing about this novel is the style and
narrative voice. Harker tells his own story as a first-person
narrator. His tone throughout is self-assured, even somewhat
cavalier, even when faced with dangerous circumstances. This
cavalier tone marks Harker as the shining, confident hero, bound to
triumph. For example, when involved in a shoot-out, during a car
chase, Harker remarks that, "Despite the fact that someone was
trying to kill me, I was rather enjoying myself." This sense that
danger is terribly exciting pervades the novel and makes it
pleasant to read. This tone also serves to reassure young readers
that Harker is bound to come through such difficulty relatively
unscathed.
“Combined with Harker’s self-assured tone, is a marked lack of
realism, which also reminds us that Harker will ultimately succeed
in getting to the bottom of his mystery. We can actually enjoy the
danger that he finds himself in partly because the very nature of
the danger and the way that the various villains are presented as
caricatures reminds us that Harker is actually not a real child in
our mundane world. This lack of realism is almost like a safety
net, allowing us to not have to fear for Harker’s safety.
“Harker’s adventures are a romp through the seedy criminal side of
early 20th Century London. Hollands seems to draw on such diverse
literary traditions and figures as Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes,
E. Nesbit’s adventuring children characters, and Barrie’s Peter
Pan, all while maintaining a tone that is unique to Hollands. This
tone is sure to appeal to contemporary child readers.
“… This book serves to fill part of the gap that seems to exist in
the world of non-fantasy middle school readers aimed specifically
at boys. As such, it should be a welcome addition to schools and
libraries.” ? Drennan Spitzer, Educator, USA
“For those who have been crying out for more ‘boy’ books in Middle
Grade, here’s one for you. Peregrine Harker is very much a boy’s
adventure novel. It’s a fast paced read, focusing on the adventures
of the title character as he uses his intrepid journalistic skills
to uncover a plot bound up in tea and smuggling. There are chases,
rescues, twists, and a pretty satisfying resolution that gives
readers the idea that more may be coming from Harker and
company.
“The novel is written in the Victorian/Edwardian style of adventure
books. If you’re a fan of steampunk, this should appeal to you as
well—there’s some gadgetry going on, not to mention an amazing car
(with a sort of driver/butler/bodyguard), and a few steampunkish
tropes that pop up to give the book an “out of time” feel. There’s
a bit of the penny dreadful in the novel as well, what with a
damsel (not usually in distress as she rescues the hero quite
often) who is to be married off against her will to some
ne’er-do-well who is the sworn enemy of the hero.
“Reading it I was reminded of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Tom Sawyer
and of Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. A strange
mashup, I know, but that’s what hit me when I would put the book
down. It makes it hard to categorize. I was also reminded of Kim
Newman’s Anno Dracula, but I think that had to do with the
Victorian references...
“The story is well told and blasts along at a good clip, with some
truly fun action scenes. At base, it is a detective story and the
mystery is engaging and fun with the right amount of menace. I
enjoyed the secondary characters more than Peregrine himself, as
sometimes he seemed more like a piece that got us into the action
with the really interesting people. Oh the whole, I’d recommend
this to anyone who enjoys steampunk and historical fiction with a
detective bent.” ? Jeannette Battista, USA
“Luke Hollands’ debut Peregrine Harker and the Black Death is a fun
adventure set in a time long-past where mysteries were daydreams,
and danger a way of life for over-curious detectives. Hollands’
world is explored by his young protagonist, Peregrine, as he
strives to uncover the surprisingly intriguing mystery surrounding
the sudden shortage of tea.
“Peregrine isn’t one of those protagonists who immediately comes
off as haughty, attractive, and confident--instead, he is rather
flawed and easily distracted...No, what I liked was the slow
build-up into the main revelation of the story--and it is huge and
very satisfyingly unexpected. Though the novel is quite short,
Hollands does have a skill for pacing and keeping the reader
intrigued as the mysteries mount.
“The characters we meet along the way are all quirky and fit the
stereotypical image we may sometimes have of mysterious people
detectives often face...” ? Dayla Fuentes-Morales, Canada
“...It is definitely a book for young boys, preferably reluctant
readers who like a lot of adventure with chases and a minimal
amount of girls/mushy stuff.
“Peregrine Harker is a rich kid orphan turned journalist in
Edwardian England, circa 1908. His newspaper boss has sent him to
investigate tea as the price has jumped significantly of late and
soon it will be so high that your average British citizen will not
be able to have a cuppa every day like normal. Instead of finding
out about tea, Peregrine gets sucked into a secret smuggling ring,
strange deaths, harrowing car chases and double-crossing lords.
There’s even a damsel in distress or so he thinks. Will Peregrine
ever get his story? Will he figure out who is in charge of the
smuggling ring? And just who is the Black Death and what is their
connection to all of this? To find out, read this exciting book!
Recommended for ages 10-15.” ? Rachel Huddlestone, Librarian,
USA
“Peregrine is fifteen so he’s really more teen than boy detective,
and orphan is a bit misleading. His explorer parents went missing
years ago in Peru and for me: no body = no death. It also seems
that a taste for action, adventure and danger runs in the
family.
“A lover of Penny Dreadfuls, Peregrine has a hard time reporting on
boring subjects, which means he generally turns in fantastical
stories his editor cannot publish. He’s given one more chance to
redeem himself and is sent to speak to a tea merchant about the
sudden rising price of tea due to missing cargo. How will the
Empire cope? Not something Peregrine finds exciting enough at all,
so when he spies two sketchy characters on the docks, apparently up
to no good, he decides to investigate. Unfortunately he’s caught
and finds himself locked up in a coffin.
“That’s not the only scrape our hero gets into: underground boxing
matches, daring escapes through tunnels in Paris, motorcar chases,
informants turning up dead, a childhood rival, a girl with a
penchant for showing up in dangerous situations, and an order known
as The Black Death out to stop Peregrine and anyone who gets in
their way. It seems there’s a lot more to this missing tea business
than previously thought. This is confirmed when Peregrine runs into
his slightly older cousin Archie Dearlove who tells him there’s a
smuggling ring tied into all this and that he’d like Peregrine’s
help solving the mystery! Finally, a story Peregrine can really
sink his journalistic teeth into. If he doesn’t die in the
meantime...
“The cast of characters is colorful and the author does a great job
of introducing the time period without getting too descriptive,
which I think is very important in a book geared to younger
audiences.
“Overall the story is a lot of fun, but despite Peregrine’s age it
reads more for a younger crowd, and given everything kids are
exposed to in media today, I think the murders aren’t really all
that shocking. Definitely 10yrs+.” ? Alicia Wheeler, USA
“This is an ideal book for readers aged ‘tweens’ and up; it is
filled with mystery, action, adventure, thrills, spills and dire
peril - and not too long either.
“Written in the style of a ‘penny dreadful’ and incorporating a
satisfying amount of historical detail about the early twentieth
century Europe in the process, we meet the brave young detective
Peregrine Harker who investigates some mysterious deaths and
quickly finds that learning too much about The Brotherhood of the
Black Death carries risks and his own life is now in mortal
peril.
T“his book races along at breakneck speed, carrying the reader
gasping and breathless to the highly satisfying conclusion. A fun
children’s book, sure to be popular with the majority of
youngsters.” ? Sian Williams, UK
“I loved it! I felt that this book was equal parts Rin Tin Tin
(minus the dog), Indiana Jones, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and
Sherlock Holmes all wrapped up in the 15 year old protagonist. This
is a book primarily for the male reader, probably ages ten to
fifteen. But, that is what gives this book its appeal. It’s a great
mix of history and the fantastical, of the dreams of a young boy
with a head full of stories and the amazing stories that can
actually take place.
“Our young hero, a young and very green journalist, is dispatched
by his editor to examine a story regarding something distinctly
British ? tea. And yet, when young Harker reaches the crux of his
search, we find out that tea is not the root of the problem, but
something much more sinister and engrossing.
“This book had me in its clutches from the first page. I felt like
I was reading one of those old dime-store novels that I used to
find tucked away in the far, unreached corners of my library as a
child. It was exciting, kept my interest from the start and I
genuinely cared about Mr. Harker...
“I could definitely see how this text could be incorporated into
the classroom. It fits perfectly with a lesson that would, in
tandem, teach history and literature as well as British culture. If
nothing else, it is a text that any teacher should be proud to have
on their shelves, available to lend to voracious readers and
hard-to-please readers alike.” ? Hope Thomas, USA
“A Ripping Yarn and an Engaging Hero:
“I know this is a cliche, but bear with me. Start with the Hardy
Boys. Or at least with the can do, gee whiz, boy detective vibe.
Now put that in 1908 England. Amp up the violence a little by
introducing a few bodies, poison and gun-play. Make the plot more
twists and turns than just smugglers hiding in a cave.
“Then, add an earnest young reporter/detective with a sincere
narrative style, a bit of a romantic streak, a droll sense of humor
and an inclination toward deadpan descriptions.
“This is a stock sort of character, but there is a good reason why
this character keeps popping up. He is the enduring embodiment of
adventure, excitement, danger!, action and derring-do. And,
everything is improved when you add a romantic interest in the form
of a girl with spirit and twinkling eyes, and a pal with a
revolver. Once you sprinkle in a range of secondary characters who
you may trust, or perhaps not, and a shady society of villains,
you’re set.
“The last piece of the puzzle is the author. Does he have the skill
to keep this mix moving forward, to keep all the balls in the air,
and to keep you interested in and rooting for the hero. The answer
here is "yes". Mr. Hollands doesn’t get cute and he doesn’t reach
too far. This is action/adventure and he keeps the wheels turning
with writing that doesn’t fail, and that is complemented by some
some nice touches and sharp observations that elevate the work
beyond mere pulp, (not that I’m faulting mere pulp).
“This is pure unadulterated entertainment and it works. There’s no
magic or fantasy; this is old fashioned action. But sometimes
that’s what you want, and for a tween or young YA reader this could
be just right.” ? Joel Smith, USA
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