CliffToppers #1: The Arrowhead Moor Adventure

CliffToppers: The Arrowhead Moor Adventure is the first in a new series of adventure mystery reads that are ideal for readers of 7+ who are not quite ready for some of the darker and more complex mysteries that are targeted at slightly older children.

Cousins Aiden, Chloe, Ava and Josh love the holidays because it means time at their grandparent’s farmyard cottage by the sea. Things always happen when the four of them are together and one heck of an adventure is waiting for them across the moors of Arrowhead. 

The cousins are excited for their first bike ride of the holidays, a day of picnicking, playing and exploring within the grounds of a stately home awaits. But before they have even arrived a peculiar looking woman in a flashy sports-car nearly runs them, and dog Bella, over. 

A series of coincidences - both planned and unplanned - leads to the quartet discovering a jewel heist involving a famous necklace and a serious amount of cash. And before long the cousins find themselves hot on the tail of the thieves. Accompanied by Bella and relying on pedal power, their own instincts and fuelled by delicious home-made scones, have they got it within themselves to bring down the villains…

This is a cracking story about four cousins who just love spending time together. They have fun, go off on adventures and of course they get up to mischief. If there’s an adventure to be found then the children and their dog Bella are guaranteed to sniff it out. Reminiscent of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five, Fleur Hitchcock has created a new cast of characters that are modern, fresh and perfectly relatable for the young readers of today.

Hitchcock is a super storyteller and she has written a delightful mystery read that is pacy and packed with danger, peril, excitement and nail-biting action that will keeps readers intrigued throughout. There is the wonderful innocence of kids trying to take on the world and solve things for themselves; formulating plans as they go, chasing the bad guys, sneaking around in the dark and keeping secrets from their loveable grandparents who wouldn’t believe a word of it anyway. I love it all.

The chapters are short, twenty-seven are crammed into a read that comes in at one-hundred-and-sixty-three pages in length making it a great book for children who are building up their reading stamina as there are plenty of opportunities to pause. Although with many chapters ending on cliffhangers this is easier said than done and don’t be surprised if children are asking to read just one more. I myself couldn’t stop and read it in one go.

If you loved this read then be sure to check out the other titles that are available in the CliffToppers series - it is worth noting that they can be read in any order.

Recommended for 7+.