Between The Lines

Author: Iain Reading

Published: September 2013 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Category: Young Adult/Adventure/Mystery

'Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway’s Ghost is the exciting second installment in a new series of adventure mystery stories that are one part travel, one part history and five parts adventure. This second book in the series continues the adventures of Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot who has decided to follow in the footsteps of her hero Amelia Earhart and make an epic flight around the entire world. After flying across North America Kitty’s journey takes her down south to Florida where she plans to get a bit of rest and relaxation before continuing on with the rest of her long and grueling flight. As Kitty explores the strange and magical water world of the Florida Keys her knack for getting herself into precarious situations sweeps her headlong into the adventure of a lifetime involving mysterious lights, ancient shipwrecks, razor-toothed barracudas and even a sighting of the great Ernest Hemingway himself. This exhilarating story will have armchair explorers and amateur detectives alike anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept across the landscape and history of the Florida Keys all the way from Key West to the strange and remarkable world of Fort Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas.'

I received a copy from Book Publicity Services in return for an honest review.

Kitty Hawk is flying south to the Florida Keys for a little R&R before continuing her epic round the world flight. The story is a wonderful mixture of adventure, travel and historical information, told in such a way as to make it fun as well as extremely interesting. I loved reading about Hemingway and visiting his house, courtesy of Kitty’s tour. The anecdotes about the six toed cats and Hemingway’s last penny are very entertaining and add to the feel and sense of place, which actually is there throughout.

Mr Reading’s impressive visual descriptions of the Dry Tortugas, Fort Jefferson and the Florida Keys are superb and just makes me want to visit and see it for myself. Crystal clear waters, lying on the beach, star-gazing, sounds perfect!

'The sunset was amazing, but the stars that came out afterward were even more beautiful, and I must have spent half the night lying out on the sand watching them sparkle and shine through the inky black canopy of the night sky.'

 

The wonderfully intriguing Chapter Eighteen header ‘The Tuna Witch Wahoo Wacker’ had me speculating wildly…and I would definitely never have guessed what it was. Kitty’s new friends, Jack and Jodi, explain all. 

Trouble seems to find our young heroine wherever she goes and the Dry Tortugas is no exception. Kitty’s curiosity gets her into more challenging situations and among other things she learns about Spanish ships, the transporting of their cargoes and how they came to grief on the reefs. Which in turn involves treasure hunts and a daring sea rescue. The fact that Kitty’s adventures are built around actual historical occurrences adds immensely to the mood of the story.

Kitty, and her escapades, are truly engaging for a reader of any age and I look forward to seeing what she gets up to next! And I hope at some point Kitty gets to meet again at least some of the friends she makes during her travels. 

The 'Some Further Reading' section at the end of the book was a very interesting addition. Nice touch!