The Monster's Daughter

Gr 4–6—Kid agents Jack and Trudy are back for their next mission in this sequel. After one wild week as an operative, Jack is hoping for a bit of rest, but a visit to the aquarium is less than relaxing. The appearance of a murderous, metal-pincered giant crab; explosive bath bombs; and a fracking drill sweeps Jack and Trudy into a zany, action-packed race to determine who (or what) is threatening Northern Ireland this time. Readers in search of humorous, fast-paced adventure will find it here. Not much rests on character development; instead, Gamble relies almost entirely on plot to keep momentum cruising. Frequent footnotes and excerpts from the Ministry handbook provide a laughably interesting take on mundane topics. Lawyers, for example, require so much schooling not because of complicated legalese but because they need to practice "improving their hearing. This means they eventually get to the stage where they can hear distant accidents and then offer to sue." The action begins to feel protracted toward the end, and many of the "aha" moments come too randomly, but these flaws likely won't deter readers looking to immerse themselves in Jack and Trudy's wacky escapades.