It’s time for another Middle Grade Monday here on SWB. I must confess in these strange times I’m taking a little extra pleasure in diving into Middle Grade fiction in particular, there are some wonderful adventures out there to get lost in! Throughout April I’m taking part in the Magical Readathon and this fit the book set at the sea / coast prompt for my Defence Against The Dark Arts OWL.
Title: The Bad Luck Lighthouse
Author: Nicki Thornton
Publisher: Chicken House Books
Publication Date: 4th July 2019
Format: Paperback
About The Book…
In solving the mystery at the Last Chance Hotel, Seth has discovered a world of magic. Swept up in a new case at Snakemouth Lighthouse – the murder of eccentric owner Mina Mintencress – he is determined to prove himself.
With the help of his cat, Nightshade, Seth must put his new-found magic to the test. Can they unmask a sinister sorcerer… before it’s too late?
What I Thought…
The Bad Luck Lighthouse is the second Seth Seppi Mystery following on from the events of The Last Chance Hotel which I reviewed last year and you can find it here. Word of warning, this review will contain the odd spoiler for the first story.
This tale picks up not too long after the end of the last adventure, Seth is still spending time in the kitchen at The Last Chance Hotel despite discovering that the hotel was actually owned by his parents and not Mr and Mrs Bunn who had used him as a general errand boy for years, convincing him they were in fact the owners. Alongside working in the kitchen Seth has also been busy trying to master magic so he can pass the Prospect and enter the magical world fully. Alas Seth has been doing this without the support of his two new magical friends Inspector Pewter and Angelique who are both busy with MagicCon work and haven’t returned to visit. Seth has been struggling to master any of the spells within the little book Inspector Pewter left him. After yet another mishap he’s surprised as the Inspector arrives for a brief visit on his way to an investigation. The teleport is left open for a little bit after the Inspector leaves so Seth decides to grab Nightshade the cat and follow him through the portal. Before long Seth finds himself back in the middle of another murder investigation!
From the moment Seth heads through to portal and finds himself mistaken for the hotel’s new kitchen boy to the final pages of the book this story is none stops, with little clues and red herrings scattered throughout as you try and figure out the mystery alongside Seth, Inspector Pewter and Angelique. It really didn’t take many chapters for me to hooked and need to know the truth! The ending caught me by surprise and I cannot wait to see how it’s addressed in the third book!
The Last Chance Hotel introduced a wonderful cast of characters. Those I loved and those I loved to hate! I’m so pleased to see so many of my favourites return for this second mystery. I admit during the first few chapters I was a bit frustrated with Seth for seeming to give up, but at the same time I felt so bad for him, feeling as though he’d been abandoned by the two people that linked him into this new world he’s discovered, the one that links him to his mother. I was so pleased to see both Inspector Pewter and Angelique reappear, although that didn’t always lead to less frustration for Seth! Of course I was absolutely delighted to see the wonderfully sassy cat Nightshade return, as far as I’m concerned there is no such thing as too much of that snarky cat! The Bad Luck Lighthouse also introduced an interesting group of new characters, some that were specific to the case, and a couple, like Dex Stormforce, who I hope will return in the next book.
Final Thoughts…
I was delighted to find myself back in Seth’s magical world. The ending had me hooked and I need to know what happens next. Fortunately, I already have the third story in the series sitting on my shelf so I won’t have to wait too long to discover what happens!
More Seth Seppi Mysteries via Goodreads
More Nicki Thornton on SWB
About The Author…
Nicki Thornton has run an independent bookshop with her husband for more than ten years and loves the wonderful alchemy that comes from bringing together authors and readers. Her favourite part of the job is hearing from children about the books they love, including from her own two boys, and this inspired her to start to write. Her dream of seeing her own name on the shelves has come closer with her magical murder mystery The Last Chance Hotel winning the Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition 2016.Bio Goes Here
Connect With Nicki
Want to buy it?
As always if you’ve read the book let me know what you thought! If you’ve not read it yet will my review convince you to pick it up?
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