Higgins, Jack, with Justin Richards. Death run

Kliatt, Sept, 2008 by Paula Rohrlick

HIGGINS, Jack, with Justin Richards. Death run. Penguin, Putnam. 272p. c2008. 978-0-399-25081-1. $16.99. JS

In this sequel to Sure Fire, 15-year-old twins Rich and Jade are on holiday in Venice with their father, Chance, a British spy. But the vacation quickly turns into a nightmare when Chance is asked to help a Swiss banker do a "death run": take on a new identity in order to keep him safe from gangsters, led by the evil Tiger. Rich, and then the banker, are kidnapped by the bad guys, and Jade and Chance must race off to a Scottish castle to rescue them. There are guns aplenty, explosions, a huge diamond, and narrow escapes by gondola and from a car plunging in the sea: this action-packed thriller with its intrepid teen characters will please fans of James Bond films and Alex Rider-type adventures, and it can stand alone for those who haven't read the first book. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.