Blog Tour: Mysteries at Sea: The Royal Jewel Plot

The Royal Jewel Plot is the second adventure in the Mysteries at Sea series which started with Peril on the Atlantic.  This is another terrifically thrilling, twisty historical mystery that kept me utterly enthralled throughout. 

It’s August 1936, and 12-year-old Alice is boarding the Lady Rose, a luxury steam yacht which she and her older brother Sonny have inherited from their grandfather.  She is excited that she will be sharing the voyage with none other than King Edward VIII who has chartered the yacht to take a trip around the coast of Yugoslavia with his friend, Mrs Wallis Simpson. 

Whilst exploring her new home with Sonny and the captain’s son, Don, they meet another guest:  a poisonous octopus, Olive, who is guarding a priceless black opal.  But when both the octopus and opal disappear, Alice and Sonny find themselves thrown in at the deep end of another mystery.  And this time, their new home and the jobs of its crew are at risk if they don’t find the opal in time to hand it over to its owner. 

So begins a fantastically enthralling, exciting mystery as Alice and Sonny work together, in a race against time, to discover the identity of the thief and their motive for stealing the opal.  Their list of suspects grows ever longer – and even includes the king – as their investigation leads to uncovering secrets, discovering possible motives for committing the theft, and unravelling a trail of truths and lies.  I absolutely loved following the intriguing clues as suspicion falls on different people, as danger increases, and as their investigations lead to some wonderfully unexpected revelations.  Can these daring sleuths unmask the culprit before time runs out?

I loved the setting of the Lady Rose, a luxury steam yacht sailing around the coast of Yugoslavia and also enjoyed that Alice and Sonny get to disembark to explore Dubrovnik – somewhere I definitely now want to visit.  I really enjoyed the 1930s historical context of the story with reference to the impending war, the king’s later decision, the role of women in society and the relationship between the paparazzi and the Royal Family.

I really liked being back with Alice and Sonny as they get to know each other as siblings.  These children are incredibly likeable as they work together, and grow deeper bonds, as they investigate the crime aboard the yacht.  Alice sees the Lady Rose as her new home and is eager to sail into adventures whereas Sonny, who has spent much of his life at sea, is keener to try living on land where he can have more pets than Rocket, his adorable mouse.  Alice is curious, tenacious and willing to break rules whereas Sonny is more cautious, but their shared determination, resourcefulness and courage make them a perfect sleuthing team.

All aboard for another marvellous mystery at sea, guaranteed to lead young adventurers of 9+ on a terrific treasure-trail full of twists and turns.  I am now eagerly anticipating the next mystery at sea in The Hollywood Kidnap Case.

Author Information

A.M. Howell has always been inspired by the stories around her, and how imagination can unlock the secrets of the past. Her thrilling historical mysteries have garnered great critical acclaim, winning both the Mal Peet Children’s Book Award, and the East Anglian Book of the Year Award, as well as being shortlisted for lots of other prizes. A.M. Howell lives in Suffolk with her husband and two sons.

Thank you so much to Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour, and to Usborne for providing me with a copy of The Royal Jewel Plot in exchange for my honest opinion.

Do check out the other stops on this week’s Blog Tour below: