Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading
Series: Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency #1
Published by Self Published by the Author on December 2012
Genres: Action, Adventure, Mystery
Pages: 336 : Paperback
Source: Received from the author for an honest review
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Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new series of adventure mystery stories that are one part travel, one part history and five parts adventure. This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations.

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty’s adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada and as the plot continues to unfold this spirited story will have armchair explorers and amateur detectives alike anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climatic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada’s Yukon, the harsh land made famous in the stories and poems of such writers as Jack London, Robert Service and Pierre Berton. It is a riveting tale that brings to glorious life the landscape and history of Alaska’s inside passage and Canada’s Yukon, as Kitty is caught up in an epic mystery set against the backdrop of the scenery of the Klondike Gold Rush.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves as Kitty prepares for her next adventure – flying around the world!

I loved this book! Kitty Hawk is such a strong central female character and I connected with her immediately. She has one goal and that is to take pictures of humpback whales for the summer in Alaska, and when those plans get interrupted, she becomes a no-nonsense girl who effectively thinks herself out of precarious situations. I loved Kitty Hawk’s voice throughout the book, and her inner dialogue was really cute too. It made her seem more real and down to earth (no pun intended!).

The whole story felt believable, which doesn’t often happen with stories like this because I’ll often think “That could never happen!” However, the way the story was woven was so intricate and well thought out that I knew if I heard about a story like this in real life I would not be surprised.

I also really liked how the author included maps and pictures into the novel so that people could get a better sense of wherever Kitty was flying or traveling. The descriptions given throughout the book too are simple phenomenal! I wished I was there with her, and at times, it felt like I was because Kitty so thoroughly explained the surrounding scenery and area.

I cannot wait to read the next one! I am very excited to see what happens next with Kitty and her wonderful little plane!