THE DANGEROUS BUSINESS OF BEING TRILBY MOFFAT BY KATE TEMPLE

Young Trilby Moffat has a lot to cope with. Her mum, Arwen, has been struck down with Dream Sickness which has been plaguing their world for the last six months. People have started speaking in old or lost languages, cooking long forgotten recipes and sleeping. The sleeping part is the worrisome thing, because eventually the sufferer does not wake up. Ever.

In one of her awake moments, Arwen has arranged for them to travel by train to stay with great aunt Thumbelina Mince who runs the Lost in Time Antiques shop situated on the somewhat eerily named Nowhere Else Pier that stands at the edge of a great lake.

Trilby has landed in a place and time that are somehow being manipulated, throwing everything into confusion. When her aunt suddenly drops dead, she is the only person left in charge. Thumbelina always wore a special key that she said was very important and when her affable aunt dies, Trilby puts the key around her neck to keep it safe. This sets in motion a series of events that will test Trilby and not in a nice way. She has inadvertently become The Time Keeper.

While she is trying to decide what to do with a dead aunt and a sleeping mother, the evil Night Manager, Mr Colin arrives demanding she hand over the key. Trilby must, not only try to stay alive, she must somehow outwit Mr Colin’s nefarious plans and solve the mystery of where to find “the treasure”. With the help of her new friends Koji and Xipil she escapes from one dire situation into another. Will they be able to help fix time?

Kate Temple has created a wonderful world full of extraordinary characters and surprizing animals in this Fantasy novel. The narrator of the story is a Thylacine called Benjamin who happens to know a thing or two about the law. Trilby (who loves crosswords), is a sensible girl who works her way through her adventure with tireless verve and a strong talent for outwitting badies.

Another important element is the fact that everyone eats cake, and because time has stood still across the great lake, no one gets older or fatter. Each chapter is headed with a crossword clue relating to the continuing story which I had great fun deciphering, (the answers are at the end if needed). All in all, this story is an entertaining escape, all Middle Grade readers will embrace the feisty Trilby and line up for seems could be a series.

For Ages: 8- 12 years

Number of Pages: 220

Published: September 2022 Hachette

Themes: Family, overcoming adversity