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When Robin at Interrobang contacted me to ask if I would review the publisher’s
newest book, he appealed to my deepest and strongest instincts: vanity and
cheapness. Vanity gave its thumbs-up as soon as Robin mentioned that the book’s
author, Panama Oxridge, was a fan of the Book Trolley and had asked particularly to
have me review Justin Thyme. Cheapness agreed the moment Robin offered to send
me a free copy of the book. And now that I have disclosed my selfish motivations for
reading this book, you can take my review for what it’s worth.
Honestly, though, I enjoyed Justin Thyme, the first book in the “Tartan of Thyme”
series. And I think that it should appeal to many of the deepest, strongest instincts of
many people who enjoy Harry Potter. It has a thirteen-year-old hero who lives in a
Scottish castle full of eccentric characters, some of whom may be spying for the boy’s
elusive and deadly enemy. It has puzzles, clues, anagrams, and weird creatures
including the Loch Ness monster, a talking gorilla, and an eight-legged cat. It involves
time travel, memory modification, a master of disguise, a kidnap, and loads of
technological wizardry. Fans of Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, and the “Pure Dead” series
should feel right at home here.
Also, parents and teachers will be thrilled by the book’s educational value. Laced with
a thirteen-year-old’s-level explanation of the principles of time travel, it ends with a
glossary of vocabulary-building words, Scottish dialect and scientific terminology used
in the book. It also has several pages for young readers to note down the clues they
pick up as they go along, including clues to mysteries yet to be revealed in the sequel,
Thyme Running Out.
The young hero is a thirteen-year-old, self-made billionaire named Justin Thyme. He
lives in Thyme castle with his rebellious older sister Robyn and their baby brother
Albion, their mother who is the celebrity host of a television safari program, and their
father who was on his way to becoming a great inventor when his memory was erased.
They also have some live-in staff who may, in fact, be spies for the slippery enemy
who erased Sir Willoughby’s memory. Finding out who the spy is becomes a matter
of urgency when Justin starts inventing a time machine, and when his mother is
kidnapped. The ransom note demands the finished machine. Poor Justin has to work
night and day in a race to finish the machine while also trying to work out who is friend,
who is foe, and how to rescue his Mum.
Justin and Robyn are appealing characters, contrasting sharply with each other. The
other eccentric folks in the castle are interesting company, making you giggle and
gasp in close succession. As Justin’s suspicions focus on one suspect after another –
as he gets closer to the dangerous truth – you can’t help getting caught up in his
adventure. Plus, there are unique quirks to enjoy, such as the title on the front cover
(which reads the same when you turn it upside down), the chapter headings (which
contain a secret message), and the author’s bio (which claims that Panama Oxridge
will be born next year). And speaking of the author, his or her name forms anagrams
with the name of the illustrator and cover designer, as well as a chemical substance
mentioned in the text ... clues to yet another mystery!
As all the clues, theories, and dangling threads of Harry Potter are tying up once and
for all, perhaps the time has come to look for another series to work your sleuthing
skills upon. If so, consider the Tartan of Thyme series.
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