Here is one of those rare books that is aimed at the youth market but which can also be enjoyed by adult readers. The two protagonists of The Boy In The Burning House may be teenagers, but Tim Wynne-Jones' novel is much more than a teen mystery.
This eerie, fast-moving thriller offers the same exhilarating rush of adrenalin to the brain that seasoned readers expect. The plot is strong, the characterisation is acutely observed and the writing is classy.
Two years after his father's mysterious disappearance, teenager Jim Hawkins is still lost in a fog of sadness and uncertainty. No one has answered the questions he needs answering. Did his father just walk away or was there a more sinister reason for his disappearance? Mr Hawkins' body has never been found although everyone thinks he committed suicide. How can Jim accept that his father would cause him such distress by doing a selfish thing like taking his own life?
Jim is an emotional mess. Matters are made worse when he accidentally meets a mysterious girl who tries to convince him that her stepfather, the Reverend Eldon Fisher, has killed his dad.
Ruth Rose is obviously crazy saying such a thing about a highly respected man of the church, but she is sure that what she says is true. She knows her stepfather is a murderer. All she needs is proof.
A seed has been sown in Jim's mind and he begins to dig into the past to get at the truth behind his dad's disappearance. Thirty years ago, Hub Hawkins, Eldon Fisher and another boy called Francis Tufts were close friends. Jim discovers that a dreadful tragedy was responsible for breaking up the friendship.
One night, Francis died in a burning house and was blamed for starting the fire. But did he really? Did Jim's father and Eldon Fisher have something to do with Francis' death?