Mr Penguin and the Catastrophic Cruise

Mr Penguin is setting sail on the Saucy Sandra cruise ship for a well-earned holiday with his friends Edith Hedge (pigeon on her head, always wearing a bumbag) and Colin the spider (a kung fu expert).

Having been invited on the glitzy cruise by jolly millionaire Herbert Chuckle and his rather more stern-faced girlfriend, the glamorous Honey Crystelle, the friends revel in the endless food, top hole entertainment and jazzy fireworks.

However, is everything what it seems? When Mr Penguin and his fellow adventurers find Marina, who has stowed away on board the Saucy Sandra, they learn that she is looking for her grampa Albert Skipper, whom she believes is being held prisoner somewhere on the ship. And when they learn that Honey Crystelle and her gang are bent on stealing treasure, the game is afoot: can Mr Penguin, Edith and Colin foil their dastardly plan?

The third in Alex T Smith’s brilliant Mr Penguin series is as full of brilliant illustration, cosy details and delightful puns as the others. You can still dive straight into this instalment of the crime mystery series without having read the others (though you will definitely want to), as there’s a helpful cast of characters and introduction at the beginning.