Sort of an odd book. At first it seemed like it would fall into the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys unobjectionable mystery category. Then it gets darker. There is some mild cursing, mostly by the dad who turns out to be a character with questionable morals anyway, having covered up an affair, an illegitimate child, and the child's accidental death.I got annoyed with the dowsing trope. It seemed like a really lazy way to propel the story and solve the mystery. It might have worked if there were other supernatural elements in the story. Sam the youngest brother having the dead child as an imaginery friend sort of counts as supernatural, but it is a tired tired way to go. I think it especially didn't work because we saw the whole thing from Sam's minds eye. Would have been more mysterious and interesting to NOT know what Sam was thinking. Maybe a bit overly didactic, but the theme is blackmail and/or things covered up coming to light...a quick, not-terrible read, and something I'd reccommend to a younger teen who wants something with a bit of edge/violence/suspense but nothing too-too graphic.Parents might object to:- swearing- adultery- violence (emotional violence, kid gets manhandled by kidnapper, boy pulls a gun on girl then shoots self)Teens might object to:- Britishisms- dowsing trope (kind of weird and out of place) ( )

After reading a few books by Tim Bowler now, I can say with some conviction, that he, like Marcus Sedgwick, is one of those authors that never talks down to his target audience, and in fact writes complex, intelligent books that challenge even the most sophisticated teenage reader and yet at the same time enthrall them with a gripping tale.

And, Storm Catchers, is certainly that, a taut tightly written thriller that grabs you from the off, and mixes in mystical elements, as two seemingly separate storylines begin to converge, Bowler then throws the reader for a loop, with an fantastic ending, that while, if you’ve been following events carefully, it doesn’t come as a complete surprise, the effects on the family are breathtaking.

Read and comment on my full review at:
http://www.bartsbookshelf.co.uk/2009/05/01/storm-catchers-by-tim-bowler/ ( )

Fin is supposed to be babysitting with his younger sister, Ella and his little brother Sam, but he decides to go over to his friend's house instead. While he is gone, Ella hears a sound downstairs and when she goes down to investigate, she is kidnapped. As the family searches for Ella, Sam is seeing ghosts and old family secrets come out involving their father. This was a good mystery, included kidnapping, murder, dark stormy nights, ghosts, secrets. Had boys as the main characters, but also a girl, so would appeal to both boys and girls. Took place in England. There were a few English terms, but it didn't disrupt the story. A couple of cuss words, but not bad. Read like a TV mystery. ( )

Ella has always felt scared to be home alone, but she encourages her brother to leave to be with his friends. Fin returns home to find that Ella has been kidnapped. He feels that it is up to him to get her back. His search leads him to the crumbling lighthouse, the ocean, and eventually to the truth.

Other books by this author: Weaver's Dream ( )