Wave Riders

by Lauren St John

Interest age: 11 to 14
Reading age: 9+

Published by Macmillan Children's Books, 2021

  • Adventure
  • Coming-of-age
  • Thriller

About this book

Twins Jess and Jude were orphaned as babies but life with their guardian, Gabriel, is close to idyllic. Sailing around the world, calling at exotic locations for supplies every now and then, they feel blessed and very lucky – until the morning they awake to find the yacht adrift and Gabe missing.

At first, the twins assume there has been an awful accident. But when they discover their supplies are drugged, they question whether Gabe has been abducted or killed.

When it becomes clear that they are entirely alone, the twins search the boat for clues as to what might have happened. Instead of clarity, however, they find confusion and a baffling mystery, with their personal history right at the heart of it.

This complex mystery thriller reveals its secrets very gradually with a full explanation only coming in the last few pages. Anyone who likes a story to challenge them and who enjoys trying to piece together elusive clues to solve a puzzle will love Jess and Jude’s adventure.

Packed with half-truths, deception, red herrings, villainous baddies and a sense of ever-present threat, this is a mystery to really keep readers guessing.

About the author

Lauren St John grew up surrounded by horses, dogs, cats, warthogs, and a giraffe on a farm and game reserve in Zimbabwe, the inspiration for her bestselling White Giraffe and One Dollar Horse series. Dead Man’s Cove, the first in her Laura Marlin Mystery series, was the 2011 Blue Peter Book of the Year, and Kat Wolfe Investigates won the 2019 CrimeFest Best Crime Novel for Children. Standalone novels include The Glory, The Snow Angel, Finding Wonder and Wild Horse Summer. A passionate conservationist, Lauren is an Ambassador for the Born Free Foundation, a Patron of Mane Chance Animal Sanctuary, and on the advisory board of iLearnabout. When not writing or saving leopards and dolphins, she is a full-time valet to her cats, Skye and Teddy.

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