And what an adventure it is! Maisie Voyager is 12 years old. She has until recently travelled the world with her parents, learning all sorts of interesting and exciting things and joining in their expeditions. But now she lives with her Aunt Hetty in a five-story townhouse, and life is considerably less exciting. One of the cleverest things about this novel is the fact that Maisie has Asperger's Syndrome or some form of high-functioning autism, but this is never spelled out. We learn it only from the way she thinks and the things she does. The colour purple makes her 'brain and jaw freeze'. She has to check locked doors over and over again, and she needs to know of a change in plans well ahead. She has difficulty with metaphors and phrases that don't mean what they seem to mean; she likes to count everything and finds it soothing; loud noises and bright lights worry her, and she is very aware of her feelings and her bodily sensations. If she is hugged, it must be a firm hug and not a light touch. Half way through the book she tells us: 'I knew that the way I thought wasn't always the same as other people. But it was familiar to me.....' She is also one of the brightest and liveliest of young heroines, and if her adventures seem a tad unlikely, reading about them makes for a real page turner. Her parents and her Aunt Hetty are kidnapped by people trying to get the secrets of their scientific discoveries (although it isn't terribly clear what these are), and in a breathless and risky venture through caves in Cornwall with a grim villain in pursuit Maisie comes up trumps and rescues the lot (with some help from friends). One of the real advantages of this book is that any child will enjoy it, while those with Asperger's will find much to identify with as well as enjoying the rip-roaring adventure. I could hardly put it down! Available from Amazon or from the publishers at www.jkp.com.