Review by Frank Plowright
There’s been a fair gap since the last of two cheery young adult novels and a guide to surfing based around the two main characters, but The Clue in the Reef comes with a cover sticker promoting the live action TV series based on Kim Dwinell’s premise. Work on that explains the delay.
Jade and Sam are young teenage best friends who live in the small seaside community of Surfside and naturally enough love their surfing. They’ve also proved themselves capable amateur detectives over the previous books. The Mystery of the Old Ranchero, however, introduced an element of the supernatural as they’re also helped by ghosts, in fact a whole crew of well-meaning, but none too competent ghostly pirates. Both cover and sample art show the beginning of the mystery to be solved this time, which is how a group of young hedgehogs came to be stranded on a rock a fair way from shore.
The previous books supplied likeable characters with a captivating mystery amid appealing locations, simply drawn, yet cleverly plotted. There’s no reason to change a successful formula. In addition to further exotic animals, Dwinell provides colour via the events taking place during the Surfside Festival, celebrating the 1863 founding of the town, and during which 19th century costumes are the order of the day.
Once again, the girls are diligent and tenacious, and Dwinell gives the ghostly pirates greater purpose via involving the history of smuggling in Surfside. The Clue in the Reef has an appealing leisurely pace that never seems as if it’s artificially extending the story. There’s always time for some scenic exploration or fascinating explanations while shady events are temporarily put on hold. Do you know the origin of the term ‘buckaroo’?
This is the usual fine Surfside Girls mystery and let’s hope the TV show isn’t delaying the relatively rapid publication of another.
