The billionaire's curse

Select an Action

Title:

The billionaire's curse

Author:

Newsome, Richard, author.

Duddle, Jonny, illustrator.

Series:

Archer legacy ;

Series Number:

Summary:

When thirteen-year-old Gerald finds himself the heir to twenty billion pounds from an aunt he never met, he inherits with it a mystery surrounding his aunt's death and various artifacts in the British Museum.

Audience:

Ages 8-12.

Edition:

1st U.S. ed.

Physical Description:

344 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.

Genre:

Detective and mystery fiction.

Subject Term:

Inheritance and succession -- Juvenile fiction.

Geographic Term:

London (England) -- Juvenile fiction.

England -- Juvenile fiction.

Author(s):

Duddle, Jonny,

Publisher:

Walden Pond Press,

Publication Date:

2010

2009

ISBN:

9780061944901

Publication Information:

New York : Walden Pond Press, 2010.

Call Number:

F NEWSOME

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607002416280	Middle Fiction	NEWSOME	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Gerald Wilkins never considered himself a particularly exceptional thirteen-year-old. But that was before he inherited twenty billion pounds, a Caribbean island, a yacht, and three estates from a great-aunt he never knew. With this fortune, however, comes a letter. One from his great-aunt Geraldine. One that tells Gerald that she was murdered, and that it's up to him to find out why.

Along with his friends Ruby and Sam, Gerald embarks on a journey that will lead him from the British Museum to dodgy social clubs for the disgustingly rich to mansions in the English countryside to secret places far underground. Who was Geraldine Archer? And what secrets was she hiding? Unless Gerald, Sam, and Ruby can find out before the killer does, they may be next.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5-8-Aussie Gerald Archer Wilkins, 13, becomes a reluctant billionaire when he inherits his great-aunt Geraldine's fortune. In a letter, Geraldine predicts her murder and asks him to investigate it and its connection to the theft of a priceless diamond from the British Museum. Gerald dutifully visits the institution but encounters difficulties when a threatening man demands answers at knifepoint. The boy picks up the obligatory sidekicks, twins Sam and Ruby Valentine, when they rescue him. The teens move from London to the new billionaire's country estate as they identify the thieves, using a set of mystical clues. An action-packed denouement complete with rats, snakes, and booby traps uncovers the true villain in this planned trilogy. Newsome's story will appeal to fans of "39 Clues"-style adventure-mysteries. While the dramatic escape scenes create a delicious urgency, the story is fairly predictable, and most readers will identify the villain quickly, despite the large cast of characters. Almost all of the twists occur when Gerald has a supernatural vision, so the plot lacks a degree of inner strength. Character development is nonexistent. The boy learns how to use a credit card and bribe taxi drivers, but his adventures instill in him no great resolve, except possibly a strong survival instinct. That said, many middle schoolers will enjoy this title without prompting, and adventure books are always in demand.-Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Hailing from Australia, Newsome's debut (the first in the Archer Legacy series) is a fun, if generally predictable tale of a boy who suddenly finds himself rich and embroiled in a deadly adventure. Gerald Wilkins has just learned that his great-aunt Geraldine has left him her entire fortune, even though he's never met her. As his absentee parents take off on a trip around the world, Gerald discovers a note from his grandmother informing him that her death was actually a murder, and he is soon on the trail of the missing Noor Jehan diamond. Along the way, he picks up two companions, twins Ruby and Sam, and as the three children make their way through London and the countryside, they discover suspects around every corner. Newsome's world is the sort in which almost all adults are either dastardly or incompetent (Geraldine's mother is practically villainous in her money-grubbing), and the ageism wears thin. Fortunately, the brisk pacing and easy camaraderie between Gerald, Ruby, and Sam should ensure that young readers have a blast. Ages 8-12. (May) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.