Himalayan Heist

In this fast-moving adventure story, the unthinkable happens several times over! From a plane crash landing in the remote mountains of western Nepal, we follow Alex, Bim and James as they escape from the wreckage, crossing terrifying torrents and battling through dense forests - where bears are the least of their problems. This is more than the story about three children trying to find their parents again. It's also a glimpse into the wicked world of underground trading in animal parts and a quest to bring wildlife-killing criminals to justice. - ANNA ROBINSON-PANT, Professor of Education andUNESCO Chair in Adult Literacy This is an adventure story for adults and young adults. It is a breathlessly exciting page-turner, in the long tradition of quest stories. The complex and shifting relationships of the three main protagonists - Alex and James, and their engaging girl companion Bim - are put to the test as they travel through the beautiful and dangerous Nepalese landscape. They know what they have to do, but not what they will be required to face. Perils confront them at every turn, some natural, others man-made. The Nepalese landscape - presented in vivid and almost tactile clarity - can be beautiful, but also, menacing. The author writes about places and people she knows well, so there is an integrity in her writing and a total authenticity in the heft and feel of the story. So her accounts of the people, the wildlife, the valleys and mountains and river have truth in them. -VICTOR WATSON, editor of The Cambridge Guide to Children's Books in English