Praise for K-9 (Knightley and Son 2): The second in the Knightley and Son series gets a little darker, offering more bite, tragedy and paternal dysfunction, as well as respectable levels of gore. Darkus Knightley is the primary tool his periodically comatose father, Alan, taps to continue investigating the elusive criminal gang, the Combination. At the end of Knightley and Son (2014), their partnership looked promising and, optimistically, so did their fractured familial relationship. As the book opens, however, paterfamilias is working alone again. Darkus, left in the company of an incontinent but loyal former war dog, discovers something afoot. A number of dogs are missing at Hampstead Heath, and enormous, bloodthirsty mutts are appearing during full moons to maul police officers (werewolf theories abound). Pressing his father to work together again, Darkus finds that Knightley's suggestion that they be a detecting duo was more of a pacifier than a promise, and the feeling of abandonment returns. This is readable as a stand-alone, but familiarity with the first instalment will give readers the full scope of Darkus's frustration with a physically and emotionally absent father. Though it suffers some from second-book syndrome, its closer examination of the father-son relationship, the endearing boy-and-his-dog thread, the conversely violent thrill of the occult, and one of the creepiest, multifaceted villains this side of Moriarty will ensnare readers. A teeth-gnashing thriller more macabre than its predecessor, it will have readers (ahem) howling for a third. -- Kirkus Reviews * Kirkus Reviews *
Praise for K-9 (Knightley and Son 2): Young fans of Sherlock Holmes will be happy to see this - The Bookbag -- The Bookbag * The Bookbag *
Praise for K-9 (Knightley and Son 2): The perfect case for father-and-son detective team, Knightley & Son - Sunday Express, Best Children's Novels Summer 2014 -- Sunday Express * Sunday Express *
Praise for Knightley and Son: A rousing page-turner with one fault: it ends - Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of 2014 -- Kirkus * Kirkus *
Praise for Knightley and Son: Aimed at young adventurers, Rohan Gavin's Knightley & Son, for age 10+, perfectly combines comedy and crime-solving as young Doc Knightley tries to discover what caused his father, a private investigator, to fall into a coma. This is an engaging debut and the tweed-loving Doc is a young Holmes for our times - Daily Mail * Daily Mail *
Praise for Knightley and Son: Heaps of mystery, dry humour and tweed abound in this exemplar of crime fiction a la Doyle ... A rousing page-turner with one fault: it ends - Kirkus Reviews, starred review * Kirkus *
Praise for Knightley and Son: Dangers are faced in London in an engaging, characterful debut ... with enjoyably convincing family relationships - Nicolette Jones, Sunday Times * Sunday Times *
Praise for Knightley and Son: Full of suspense, intrigue and humour, this is a modern day classic detective mystery - Guardian Best New Children's Books, Summer 2014 * The Guardian *