title: The Black Book of Secrets
author:  F. E. Higgins 
description: Wonderful. Anyone looking for the next big thing has come to the right place. Higgins has created a uniquely grim fantasy world that more than holds its own with Dickens or Peake. Her characters are brilliantly realized and the story grabs at the reader with hooked talons. (<i>Eoin Colfer</i>)<br /><br />This polished debut from a British writer tantalizingly blends secrets and thick, evocative atmosphere . . . Higgins, framing her book as texts discovered in a hallowed wooden leg, expertly sustains the audience's curiosity, revealing just enough information to keep readers riveted. And for all the grisly details, the novel gets at important themes about self-determination and trust. Original and engrossing. (<i>Publishers Weekly, starred review</i>)<br /><br />The story's vaguely Dickensian atmosphere is exquisite . . . A tantalizingly revelatory ending leaves at least one thread dangling for future volumes (which are sure to evoke more picaresque oddities and nefarious tales), making this a smart, peculiarly thrilling book that is sure to appeal to readers ready to sidestep the goodygoody Harry Potters of adventure fiction. (<i>Booklist, starred review</i>)<br /><br />Higgins's debut begins with a bang--on the streets of a London as dark as in any Dickens novel--and ends in a mysterious cave, with no let-up in pacing from start to finish . . . One of Higgins's great achievements is the way she manages to convey a degree of innocence in Ludlow despite his harsh life surviving the city streets. Redemption emerges as a strong theme in the book, as she reveals the complexities of human nature, and she leaves open several mysteries (including the history behind a wooden leg and Joe's prized pet frog). Readers can only hope for many more black books filled with secrets. (<i>Shelf Awareness</i>)<br /><br />Pre-teens who enjoy historically based fantasy . . . will find <i>The Black Book of Secrets</i> thoroughly rewarding. (<i>The Washington Post</i>)<br /><br />Will keep readers on the edge of their seats. (<i>Scripps Howard News Service</i>)<br /><br />There can be few more nightmarish openings than that of <i>The Black Book of Secrets</i> . . . A beguiling mix of gothic fairy tale and Dahlesque macabre for 9-13-year-olds. (<i>The Telegraph (UK)</i>)<br /><br />Higgins creates a fascinating novel peopled with colorful characters and imbued with clever plot twists . . . the novel's climax is both excellent and surprising. (<i>VOYA</i>)<br /><br />Higgins's fine writing and wry tale will charm readers who are ready for the unusual . . . like the film <i>Chocolat</i> . . . a stranger enters a town and changes the lives there forever, all from the confines of a small shop, this time a pawnbroker's place. (<i>KLIATT</i>)<br /><br />The resolution, as tidy a piece of plotting as can be imagined, not only collects all the plot threads but leads to the deeper revelation of who Joe is and why he plies such a curious trade. Strongly seasoned with details of nineteenth-century oddities, the story abounds with puzzles, quirks, and enticing disclosures. (<i>The Horn Book</i>)
zlib_text: CHARLIE LANE
  
  Keep No Secrets
  
  A Steamy Regency Romance
  
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