From London’s vilest slums to its grandest palaces, Wild Boy and Clarissa hunt a murderous poisoner in hope of proving themselves to a skeptical society.
London, 1842. Wild Boy, master detective and former freak-show performer, and Clarissa, circus acrobat and troublemaker, are the secret last hope of a city beset by horror. A poisoner stalks the streets, leaving victims mad with terror—and then dead. Can the Black Terror be traced to a demon called Malphas? With their partnership threatened by rules and regulations, can Wild Boy and Clarissa uncover a cure in time to save the queen and the city?
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About the Author:
Rob Lloyd Jones is the author of Wild Boy and more than thirty other books, primarily historical nonfiction and adaptations of classic literature. He writes for television and is a senior editor at Usborne. Rob Lloyd Jones lives in London.
From School Library Journal:
Gr 5 Up—This sequel to Wild Boy (Candlewick, 2013) works better than the first book. The two young teens are now free of their stints in the circus where Clarissa performed as an acrobat and Wild Boy was part of the freak show attractions because of his hypertrichosis, an unusual genetic disorder that causes hair growth over his entire body. But life in London is not as easy as they had hoped. Clarissa and Wild Boy are soon embroiled in a dastardly plot by an unknown poisoner who intends to use a rare black diamond with a gruesome history to bring madness and terror to the population, including Queen Victoria herself. Jones interweaves interesting historical facts into this adventure tale, such as background on the 19th-century British exploitation of India, the role of the medical profession in postmortem procedures, and various schemes against the real Queen Victoria. One slightly jarring note is the use of modern colloquialisms, such as "trying to act cool" and "messed me up," but in light of the overall presentation, these can be forgiven. VERDICT This historical adventure is a fast-paced and exciting read.—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK
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- PublisherCandlewick
- Publication date2015
- ISBN 10 0763662534
- ISBN 13 9780763662530
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages336
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Rating