The Emerald Casket (Archer Legacy Series #2)

by Richard Newsome, Jonny Duddle (Illustrator)

Overview

It has only been a month since Gerald Wilkins be-came the richest kid on earth. One month since he found out his great-aunt Geraldine had left him all her fortune and, with it, a murder mystery, clues to a diamond heist, and a target on his back. One month since Sir Mason Green made off with the contents of the diamond casket, an object of unspeakable power. And you thought your school vacation was eventful.

As book two of the Archer Legacy opens, Gerald, Ruby, and Sam come upon papers, drawings, and reams of research, all indicating that Gerald's family has been protecting a secret concerning nothing less than the fate of the world. Now Gerald and his friends are off to India to try to find out the truth. Friendships will be forged and broken. A city buried under the sea will be rediscovered. A whole mess of pigeons will be involved. And Gerald is going to have to make a choice between his love for his friends and the darkest desires of his heart.

It's entirely possible that this month might be even more eventful than the last.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061944932
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/24/2012
Series:	Archer Legacy Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	359
Sales rank:	917,763
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Richard Newsome is the author of the first two books in the Archer Legacy, The Billionaire's Curse and The Emerald Casket. In researching the trilogy, Richard traveled to England, India, France, Italy, and Greece, visiting many of the historical sites featured in the books. He lives with his family in Brisbane, Australia.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 3–6—This old-fashioned adventure series continues along in its Biedermeyer-esque fashion, with many unlikely coincidences and melodramatic danger. The world's youngest billionaire, Gerald Wilkins; twins Ruby and Sam; and Indian femme fatale Alisha are on the hunt for a mysterious casket with supernatural powers. Evil Sir Mason Green, along with his murderous henchman, "the thin man," uses the children to try to steal this casket once they find it just as he did in The Billionaire's Curse (HarperCollins, 2010). They all head to India in search of a death cult that curiously shares the same symbology as Gerald's family crest. Character development is nil; new characters are introduced only to become stock figures so often found in this type of adventure, and the story is entirely plot driven. Some Australian slang will be unfamiliar to American readers.—B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA

School Library Journal

They may have (apparently) lost round one in trilogy opener Billionaire's Curse (2010), but 13-year-old Gerald and his squabbling twin sidekicks Sam and Ruby aren't giving up. Here they get a taste of the luxury an estate worth £20 billion brings while jetting off to India in high style to claim a second magical artifact before (presumed) murderer and all-around bad guy Mason Green can reach it. Laying broad hints that All Is Not as It Seems—or, as several characters repeatedly whisper, "Nothing is certain."—Newsome again crafts a lighter-than-air caper. It's all heavily dependent on contrived clues, blundering or oblivious adults, chaperones who consistently vanish just before attackers arrive, conveniently spotty communications, lurid visions and massive gems that evidently sit around for the taking. The pace never lets up, though, and along with learning a bit more about the 1,600-year-long secret that Gerald's family has been charged with keeping, the young folk survive multiple kidnappings, escapes, chases and life-threatening mishaps. Inevitably they face off with Green again, here inside an ancient Indian temple prone to sudden massive floods. Fans of 39 Clues–style adventures will be swept along. (illustrations not seen) (Adventure. 11-14)

Kirkus Reviews