My kids love Chris Riddell and everything he does. This book is the second in his Far Flung Adventures series, which he collaborates on with Paul Stewart. We read Fergus Crane with huge excitement and couldn't wait to read this one.
Corby is a youngest daughter in a large family, headed by a brilliant bridge builder of a father. One of his bridges fell down and disgraced, the family leave their home on the SS Euphonia, to travel round the world and escape their past. On the voyage Corby discovers something mysterious in a box and has a run in with the malevolent Brotherhood of Clowns (all wonderfully named after font typefaces). Much romance, intrigue and mystery on the high seas ensue.
It has the same winning ingredients as Fergus Crane, corking illustrations, an elaborate and slightly mysterious plot, fantastic locations and some really funny episodes. We were slightly disappointed that we didn't get to meet Fergus again, as he is quoted on the book jacket, which made us think he might actually be in the book, but other than that, another crowd pleaser, and one which has left us desperate to read the next in the series, Hugo Pepper.