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Final Lap

Malcolm Rose

Fiction (Series)

Ages 12 and up,

Houghton Mifflin, 2006, 978-0-7534-6005-4

  Luke Harding, the sixteen year old Forensic Investigator, has a new case. The Authorities wants him to look into a series of suspicious accidents which have dogged the construction work at the new Hounslow sports facility. The Youth International Games are going to take place there and it is hoped that the project will do a great deal for the regeneration of the city of London.

  At first Luke is inclined to believe that the accidents are, in fact, just accidents; but then a young swimmer is horribly poisoned when she swims in the pool at the facility. Apparently some vicious person put considerable quantities of toxic substances into the pool and there is no way that such an act could have been an accident. Someone is clearly out to sabotage the whole project.

  Luke is soon frustrated because crime scenes are contaminated, possible suspects don’t appear to have plausible motives, or they didn’t have the means to do the crimes. It seems as if the mysterious perpetrator of the acts of sabotage – whom Luke codenames Spoilsport – might get away with his or her crimes.

  This well crafted, often exciting, occasionally chilling futuristic thriller is sure to entertain readers who have a taste for mysteries. As in the previous books in this series, the author further develops Luke’s relationship with his girlfriend Jade. Many readers will continue to wonder whether the Authorities will let these two young people pair when the time comes, or will they force then into loveless pairings.

  As always, Luke’s mobile computer assistant Malc can be counted on to provide some comic relief, Though he is a machine, we can’t help wondering if, perhaps, Malc might be showing miniscule signs that he is developing a real personality.

 

 

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