Sally, Caz, Poppy and Em are four sisters with wild imaginations and a taste for adventure. Their antics often bring them into conflict with their neighbour, (Evil) Edith Malprentice and her butler (Grisly) Gus. But when people start going missing the Quads find themselves in a real-life adventure that will take them deep below Malprentice Manor in search of treasure.
From the opening chapter, the four Quads are given their own distinct personalities, with the same being true of the other characters introduced throughout the book. Whilst the initial introductions put broad brush strokes on the characterisations, additional details appear naturally in the narrative, giving the characters real depth. Even the villains are not painted as simply bad for the sake of it, proving to be well-rounded individuals by the end.
The first few chapters serve to present the setting and the quads enthusiasm for imaginative play. The transition to the more serious adventure, where they face real peril, is a smooth one, The underground labyrinth they explore, full of ancient mechanisms and traps, is well described. You can definitely see Steve's career in writing for video games in some of the challenges they face, which would not be out of place in an action-adventure game. This does not detract from the excitement of wondering how they will be overcome. In a nice touch so often missed in such settings, not all of the mechanisms are in good order, age causing some of them to fail in dangerous fashion.
The story is enhanced by the illustrations, drawn by the author, scattered throughout. These serve to give a clear image of individual characters and scenes, pulling the reader even further into the story. It helps that the author is an accomplished artist, so the pictures show fully realistic detail.
While the target audience is clearly somewhat younger than I am, I found this a very enjoyable story. The characters are engaging and there are moments of genuine danger I found surprising in a book aimed at such a young audience. I enjoyed the time I spent with the Quads, and hope to spend more time with them in the future.
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![The Quinton Quads and the Mystery of Malprentice Manor by [Steve Ince]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ByO6oBaFL._SY346_.jpg)
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