Hemlock Jones & The Underground Orphans by Justin Carroll #BookReview

When orphans vanish from their beds across Victorian London, twelve-year-old demystifier Hemlock Jones and her companion, Edward, take the case!

This time, the trail will lead them from their Baker Street home, along lost rivers and into the heart of the city, to face exotic enemies and a charming man with dark plans…

Hemlock Jones & The Underground Orphans is the second of the Hemlock Jones Chronicles, the award-winning series of detective adventures for children and adults.

Earlier this week I hosted the blog tour for Hemlock Jones & The Underground Orphans but I’m not the only fan of Justin Carroll’s series about the young Victorian demystifier in our house, so I’m delighted to be handing over my blog to my 12yo daughter, Maggie as she shares her review today.

When I was 9, my mum read Hemlock Jones and The Angel Of Death to me but this time I read the sequel, Hemlock Jones & The Underground Orphans to myself. 

Justin Carroll has once again made Hemlock Jones an exceptional character, a bossy, direct 12 year old girl. I think Hemlock is inspirational as she teaches you not to listen to people who think that you can't do something - because you can still try. It was interesting seeing Hemlock through Edward (Eddie) Whitlow's eyes. Eddie is clearly a great friend to Hemlock, although slightly reluctant to join in with her adventures.

 Hemlock Jones and the Underground Orphans is a really imaginative page-turner. I really enjoyed the story and there was not one dull moment in it. The descriptions of the setting were really good and allowed me to paint a picture in my mind of where they were.

I think this book is a gripping tale for any age, I strongly recommend it as it is beautifully written. I especially enjoyed the exciting and often foreboding atmosphere as Hemlock and Eddie try to discover what happened to the orphans.

If Maggie’s review has tempted you, Hemlock Jones & The Underground Orphans can be purchased from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

About the Author

Justin Carroll is an author who balances his love of comic books and games with a passion for martial arts and musicals.

Ever since he stopped wanting to be a dinosaur, Justin wanted to be a writer. He graduated with a degree in English Literature and Language from King's College, London in 2004 and now, when not writing, he fritters away his time on all manner of geeky things.
Shortlisted for several international short story competitions, Justin was a finalist in the 2010 British Fantasy Awards with "Careful What You Wish For" (Wyvern Publishing) and placed in the top twenty of the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge twice.
December 2012 saw the birth of Justin Carroll's first novel: Everything's Cool - a dark, psychological thriller.
His second novel, Hemlock Jones & The Angel of Death, is a Young Adult novel and the first in a series featuring Hemlock Jones, the fiery 12-year-old demystifier whose brain easily equals and surpasses that of the famous consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes. "Hemlock Jones & The Angel of Death" won a Silver Medal in the 2017 Wishing Shelf Awards.
Now, Justin has published the second book in the Hemlock Jones Chronicles: Hemlock Jones & The Underground Orphans, perfect for all fans of 10 years and above of adventurous detective mysteries!
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