Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb by Kirsten Miller

cover image

Random House, 2007
(Ages 11-15 years) An amazing group of young girls gather as hi-tech crime solvers on the streets of New York. Led by Kiki Strike, who lays claim to the throne of Pokrovia, the friends combine their amazing talents and take the reader on a fast-paced story of intrigue and adventure. Combining school with a good deal of nocturnal investigation tests the girls, but they are determined to rid the city of its latest villain, even if they have to resort to some masterly, home-made potions and devices!

Ananka tells the story of the exploits of the six best friends with great humour and honesty, providing plenty of personal comments on the action. The reader is swept along by the author's appealing style and language. There are kidnappings, the theft and copying of valuable art pieces, and deceit and intrigue when one girl discovers her father's criminal past. With the help of some street kids, the girls go to extraordinary lengths to solve a mystery which threatens to entangle them all in a web they may not escape from.

The Empress's Tomb is a wonderful read, well told and constantly holding the reader's attention. Set in a modern city with an intriguing past, and full of memorable characters, this story is thoroughly enjoyable. This is the second Kiki Strike adventure – it follows Inside the Shadow City. It is highly recommended.
Julie Wells

booktopia