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

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the first book in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series written by Iain Reading.

Young and spirited pilot Kitty Hawk is excited about the summer. She just receives sponsorship from Tilley Clothing Company to spend the summer in Alaska and study the social interactions and feeding habits of humpback whales. Not only does she get to live with a warm and generous couple in Juneau, but she also meets new friends whom she learns a lot from. After identifying a particular whale by the marks of its tail, Kitty witnesses a spectacular phenomenon that she, so luckily, gets to record on her laptop. Things are going way even better than she expected, until her attention is caught by a suspicious looking fishing boat and her summer adventures turn from fun and exciting to ultimately dangerous.   

This is an exciting, enjoyable, informative and a totally entertaining book. It has a very promising beginning that turns into an all-out suspenseful story with surprising twists and unpredictable turn of events. Descriptions of the settings, Canada and Alaska, are rich and vivid while the dialogues are realistic and fitting for each character. The author creates an endearing protagonist in Kitty Hawk. She is smart albeit impulsive and kind yet tough. She is completely clueless about how special she is which makes her all the more charming.

However, though I appreciate the history lesson, I find it too long. I also find some scenes, especially the captivity, a little dragging. Still, I enjoyed this book immensely and I recommend it to readers who love adventures.

Congratulations to Iain Reading (@IainReading) on such a great book. For more books in this series, click HERE.