The Billionaire's Curse

by Richard Newsome Narrated by James Clamp

Overview

Gerald Wilkins never considered himself a particularly exceptional thirteen-year-old. But that was before he inherited twenty billion pounds, a Caribbean island, a yacht, and three estates from a great-aunt he never knew. With this fortune, however, comes a letter. One from his great-aunt Geraldine. One that tells Gerald that she was murdered, and that it's up to him to find out why.

Along with his friends Ruby and Sam, Gerald embarks on a journey that will lead him from the British Museum to dodgy social clubs for the disgustingly rich to mansions in the English countryside to secret places far underground. Who was Geraldine Archer? And what secrets was she hiding? Unless Gerald, Sam, and Ruby can find out before the killer does, they may be next.

Editorial Reviews

Like every other 13-year-old, Gerald has much more important things to worry about than the theft of the world's the most valuable diamond. In fact, this historic theft doesn't really cross his mind again until he himself becomes a billionaire. Richard Newsome's just-debuted adventure series tracks a resourceful Australian boy and his friends as they span the globe, searching for the keys to a dangerous mystery. A new series to watch.

Kirkus Reviews

Gerald, a seemingly ordinary Sydney teenager, rises to the occasion when a previously unmet great-aunt in England leaves him 20 billion pounds and a note asking him to find her murderer. He doesn't have to look too hard, because the killer is after him, too. It all has something to do with an ancient casket that he knows nothing about, a huge, recently stolen diamond-and, as events unfold, lots of hidden doorways, underground chambers, cryptic clues, artifacts with mysterious powers, etc. Endowing his protagonist with two doughty British twins for sidekicks and blithely sweeping away most of the lifestyle complications that sudden, massive wealth would normally entail, Newsome pitches the trio into one fruitful but dangerous foray after another on the way to a properly bloody and suspenseful climax. The author is too fond of the "overheard conversation" ploy, and as this debut is the opener for a planned trilogy, there are plenty of questions left unanswered. Still, there's no letup in the pacing, and all the tried-and-true mystery elements add up to an Anthony Horowitz-style romp. (Adventure. 11-14)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173714909
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/18/2010
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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