Does anyone else struggle to find time for reading during the Summer holidays? I start off with such good intentions, but then time just runs away with me. However, I was very keen to read this series – even if it has taken me a while – as it’s been calling out to me from the bookshelf…
I’ve not read time-travelling, retro adventure stories like these in a long time. Back in the day, entertaining tales of derring-do with a military flavour would have been marketed very much as ‘Boys’ Own’ stories, but there’s no doubt that girls will definitely enjoy these just as much. The stories centre around Billy, a young teenager who travels back in time to the 1950s and 60s, pairing up with his RAF pilot grandpa to undertake intrepid, Indiana Jones-style adventures, whether that be in the jungle saving a tiger and bringing a mad dictator to justice, in Europe rescuing a kidnapped teenager from the hands of an unhinged rocket scientist during the Cold War, or disarming a secret terrorist organisation in the desert. The series order is: The Bother in Burmeon, Trouble in Teutonia and The Al-Eden Emergency and, while it makes sense to read them in that order, you can actually read them as standalones as there’s sufficient information included in each to set the context.
With all three books, readers are guaranteed peril-fuelled stories, which are full of intrigue and page-turning twists and turns. S P Moss’ knowledgeable and evocative writing style transports you to an era before both mobile tech and health and safety, where vintage, ‘steady on, old chap’ language is de rigueur and Bond-esque villains pay scant regard to inclusion. I loved the military backdrop to the stories and also the addition of Kathleen, an extremely bright, forthright teenager in book two and Ajay Singh, the adventurous son of a military man in books one and three, which give the series characterisation a more contemporary feel. I was also taken by the author’s representation of time travel being like parallel worlds rather than a linear movement. It made me stop and think about the whole concept of movement through time and how the past, present and future connect.
While these escapist, gripping stories are perfect for adventure lovers aged 10+, I suspect they might get pilfered by those older adults who hanker for nostalgic reads. If they disappear off your bookshelf, therefore, you know where to look first…
Finally, a huge thank you to Susan for sending these books for me to enjoy. I say me, but my husband has been patiently waiting in the wings to also read the series and so he’s quite pleased that I’ve finally handed the stories over…
The Bother in Burmeon
Author: S P Moss
Cover Art: Joy Chan
Publisher: Circaidy Gregory Press
ISBN: 9781910841525
Trouble in Teutonia
Author: S P Moss
Cover Art: Joy Chan
Publisher: Circaidy Gregory Press
ISBN: 9781906451974
The Al-Eden Emergency
Author: S P Moss
Cover Art: Stefan Lochmann
Publisher: Matador
ISBN: 9781789017434