Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Book Review: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading


Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new young adult series of adventure mystery stories by Iain Reading. This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations. 

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales, Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty's adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada. As the plot continues to unfold, this spirited story will have readers anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climatic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada's Yukon.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves. 

There are currently five books in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold (book 1), Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost (book 2), Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue (book 3), and Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic (book 4), and Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces (book 5). Each book can be read as a standalone. 

“In the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series the heroine finds herself in a new geographic location in each book. The series will eventually have a total of 13 books in it (maybe more) and her flight around the world will be completed in the end,” says Iain. “The books are sequential but one could definitely read any of the later ones before reading the earlier ones.”

For more information, go to http://www.kittyhawkworld.com/
Iain Reading is passionate about Root Beer, music, and writing. He is Canadian, but currently resides in the Netherlands working for the United Nations. 

Iain is the author of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series, The Wizards of Waterfire Series, and the dragon of the month club. To learn more, go to http://www.amazon.com/Iain-Reading/e/B00B0NGI6Q/ 

Connect with Iain on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Kitty Hawk and The Curse of the Yukon Gold is a fun and adventurous start to what promises to be an entertaining series about a teenaged pilot who seems to be a magnet for mischief and mystery.

While it took me a few chapters to really get into the book, once I did I became caught up in Kitty Hawk’s story and felt as if she were telling it to me herself as we sat together on her little seaplane. Her excitement, inquisitiveness, fear, heartache, and more were contagious and I eagerly looked forward to seeing how things would play out for her on her adventure in the Yukon.  And things definitely turned out to be interesting and quite unexpected as what started as a simple expedition to Alaska to study whales soon turned into an arduous journey and mystery involving stolen gold when Kitty managed to capture more than just photographs of whales on her research cameras.

For weeks, Kitty studies the whales from the air and is amazed by the creatures she observes and captures on camera. But her dedication soon leads to trouble when she manages to capture some suspicious activity of a human nature on camera. For some reason, one Kitty is not entirely sure of herself, she decides to put on her amateur detective hat and finds herself in the middle of an incredibly risky adventure involving dangerous criminals who remind her of Wolverine, gold that is probably stolen, and an eventful trek by foot across the Yukon.  

Kitty’s momentary lack of judgment may have led to a life-threatening not to mention life-changing journey for her, but it was definitely nothing but entertainment for me. I was completely fascinated and couldn't wait to see how she would handle the precarious situation she found herself in or what would happen next with her companions.  Never would I have expected the story to take quite so many twists and turns as it reached its final conclusion. Nor would I have guessed exactly what those developments would turn out to be and the impact they'd have on our main character. But while they were all unexpected, they were definitely not disappointing and I truly enjoyed Kitty Hawk’s adventure…or misadventure depending on how you look at it once you read it for yourself.  Plus, I managed to learn a bit about a place I've never been as the author worked in aspects of the history and other details of the setting. 

With the character of Kitty Hawk, Iain Reading has created a spirited, independent female character with a thirst for knowledge and a great sense of adventure. There’s a realness about her, her reactions, and her complicated (and at times comical) thought process that I could definitely relate to even if I don't necessarily share her bravado and determination.  She's not afraid to admit when she is wrong or to show her fear, which makes her even more relatable and realistic.

And while Kitty is definitely reminiscent of some of my favorite fictional female characters such as Nancy Drew, she has her own unique traits that allow her to stand on her own and that make her memorable in her own right.  For example, I love how enterprising and courageous Kitty is piloting her very own seaplane.  This not only added to her character, but also added to the story and the series, opening the door to so many story ideas and possibilities.

With this first entry in the series, Iain Reading has written a very detailed and entertaining story set in the Yukon with an intrepid and relatable young heroine. I can't wait to see what Kitty gets up to next and look forward to reading more entertaining adventures in the Kitty Hawk series.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

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