Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Jinks, Catherine. A Plague of Bogles.

Jinks, Catherine.  A Plague of Bogles.  Houghton Mifflin  2015  330p  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-544-08747-7  ms  Historical  VG-BN     
Deep underground in Victorian London’s sewers and depths lie the monsters, the evil child-eating bogles of your worst imaginings.  It will be up to some unsung heroes to protect the innocent.   A Plague of Bogles resumes the tale of Jem Barbary, a former pickpocket who has rejoined forces with Alfred Bunce, newly retired bogle killer, and Birdie McAdam, his former apprentice.  When the area around Newgate Prison is suddenly beset with a plague of missing children, Bunce reluctantly returns to action and Jem is recruited to be his newest apprentice.  He will be replacing Birdie, now an aspiring singer living with wealthy Miss Eames.  When the first bogle is dispatched, word goes out across the area, and Bunce receives many calls for his skills.  Upset by the fact that there is such a high concentration of monsters in a small area, the group must work together to solve the mysterious disappearances of the children. 

Second in a trilogy, this lively and exciting novel will be a hit.  It is engaging and suspenseful, with excellent characterizations and a well-paced plot.  Jem’s first-person narrative is well blended with historical descriptions.  The grand adventure moves along quickly, with just enough blood and gore, and it will hold the reader’s attention from beginning to end, leaving them waiting impatiently for the last book in the series.  The book also includes a glossary of English slang at the end.

Summary: A Plague of Bogles resumes the tale of Jem Barbary, a former pickpocket who has rejoined forces with Alfred Bunce, newly retired bogle killer, and Birdie McAdam, his former apprentice.  When the area around Newgate Prison is suddenly beset with a plague of missing children, Bunce reluctantly returns to action and Jem is recruited to be his newest apprentice to help with the elimination of the bogles.       


Monsters-Fiction                                            --Susan Ogintz

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