Space Detectives - Mark Powers
(Illustrated by Dapo Adeola)

Book Summary

Dog lost in space? Grown an extra head and don't know why? Pocket money stolen by a green blob? You need the Space Detectives!

Connor and Ethan are spending their summer holidays aboard the world's first orbiting city, Starville (basically Beverley Hills in space!). The amazing space station is bursting with celebrities and the mega-rich. But Connor and Ethan are too busy selling ice cream to see the sights.

However, neither of our heroes can resist a mystery and when they discover the space station is hurtling on a collision course with the moon (eep!) they know they need to step in. This is a case for the SPACE DETECTIVES!

Can Connor and Ethan find the culprit and save Starville from its impending doom?

I'm very excited because for my stop on the tour I have the chance to share an extract from the book. I think this section definitely gets the mystery of the book across and really draws you in!

Prologue

The lone figure stared at the laptop screen and gave a chuckle.

In the darkened room, it was impossible to tell whether the figure was young or old, male or female, human or alien. But there was no mistaking the pure evil in its laugh.

The task that lay ahead was difficult. A few details remained to be checked. But if the plan succeeded, the result would be unimaginable terror …

A muffled voice called, interrupting the figure’s thoughts. The figure closed the laptop and went downstairs for dinner. It was fish fingers.

Connor and Ethan are detectives, having solved lots of mysteries on Earth. But now they have an opportunity to be SPACE DETECTIVES! Working at Ethan's uncle's ice cream stall gives them the chance to stay in Starville and explore somewhere completely different. 

Space is one of my passions so books with anyone going to space always catch my eye, and Starville sounds amazing! Orbiting around the Earth and full of so many alien species, I would love to visit and wouldn't even mind living there. I loved the prologue, bringing in a very mysterious evil and sinister character. Then there are the other hilarious character introductions: Connor - tall, gawky and looked a bit like an ostrich wearing glasses. Ethan - short, squat and constantly bristling with energy like a terrier. The race to save Starville from colliding with the moon was thrilling and this was a really fun book to read.

I found a great cocktail to go with this book, the Drunken Astronaut! The recipe makes this as a slushy but I prefer it as a shaken cocktail. If you'd rather make the slushy, just blend all the ingredients with ice instead of shaking. 1 shot light rum, 3/4 shot each of Chambord and lime juice, 1/4 shot orange curacao, a squeeze of honey and a dash of orange bitters. Garnish with raspberries.