Katherine Woodfine’s The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow is a mystery adventure set in the start of the twentieth century. The style and tone is very different from the post Harry Potter books and that is actually very refreshing. It also reminds one of the adventure stories of Nancy Drew and The Famous Five.

Sophie, our heroine, is an orphan from a good family background but now has to start working to survive. She is hired at the new and classy departmental store that is about to open, Sinclair. But Sophie finds herself a misfit there with the other girls who consider her snobbish and make fun of her. Sophie eventually makes two friends, Lilian and Billy, and their adventure soon starts when there is a burglary in which the priceless Clockwork Sparrow is stolen. Sophie is a prime suspect and to save herself, she embarks on tracking the real criminals with the help of her friends.

These young detectives do a lot of clue searching, cracking codes and snooping to trace the real culprits but not before going after the wrong people and complicating things for themselves more. This is a whodunit that leaves you totally surprised at the end when the mystery of the theft is solved.

The book, written in the third person, creates the atmosphere with detailed descriptions that bring the scenes to live for the readers. It is a very refreshing kind of book due to its historical setting and tone, so very different from the kind that are coming out for children these days.

Suitable for children nine years and above, The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow, is a page-turner for most parts.

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, October 1st, 2016