Rocket Robinson and the Secret of the Saintby Patti MartinsonReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 The story opens in 1806 with a priest, washing up on a French shore, the last survivor of a sunken ship. He imparts a secret phrase before dying. The action moves to 1933, Paris, where Rocket Robinson, his father, his friend Nuri, and Rocket's pet monkey are staying in Paris while Rocket's father does business. One night, they attend a jazz club and meet Nuri's uncle, Turk. The following morning, they learn that an obscure painting was stolen from the Louvre and that Turk has been arrested for the crime.Nuri is bent on proving her uncle is innocent, so she and Rocket go on quite the adventure to track down who stole the painting and why and encounter the Knights Templar, treasure, Nazis and flaming zeppelins. As an adventure story, this is one of the best, very reminiscent of Indiana Jones. The mystery behind the stolen painting is tied to the legendary treasure of the Knights Templar and it was a great deal of fun to read about the history of the treasure and the clues both the Nazis and Rocket / Nuri uncover on its location and the key to finding it. While the scrapes Rocket and Nuri go through are sometimes just edging up to the absurd, it was still exciting and interesting to see how they get out of them by their own wits and the help of Screech, Rockets' pet monkey. The other characters are pretty strong as well. There is Inspector Amadou, who is investigating the theft. Madame Verant, the insurance investigator who wants the painting back and who imparts information on the history of the painting. Rosseau worked at the museum and hired a common thief, Zola, to steal the painting. Rossueau himself was hired by Nazis to get the painting so the Nazis could locate the treasure themselves to fund their army. While I greatly liked Amadou and Verant, the Nazis were less interesting and Rosseau / Zola wind up functioning as the Abbott and Costello of the story a mismatched pair bickering with each other and getting into trouble themselves, although they provided the only humor in the story. I really enjoyed this story from beginning, to middle to end, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a solid, smart, and enjoyable adventure tale. Written: October 15, 2016
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