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The Case of the Deadly Desperadoes

Western Mysteries, Book One

#1 in series

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
The year is 1862 and twelve-year-old P.K. Pinkerton is on the run from Whittlin Walt and his gang of ruthless desperados. P.K. is determined to hold on to his ma,s last priceless possession: the deed to a large amount of land and silver mines in the Nevada Mountains. But this is the Wild West, and there,’s hardly a safe place to hide in Virginia City, an untamed mining town full of gamblers, hurdy girls and gunmen—all of them on the make! Relying on disguises will only keep P.K. hidden for so long as he works to outwit the outlaws who are quickly closing in . . .
At once thrilling, funny, and moving, this mystery adventure will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      December 12, 2011
      Lawrence’s energetic, vividly written series opener begins with 12-year-old P.K. Pinkerton trapped in a mine shaft, facing certain death and recording the wild adventure that led him there. In 1862 the twice-orphaned, half-Sioux P.K. hops a stagecoach from his tiny home in the Nevada Territory for the rowdy streets of Virginia City, fleeing from the much-feared outlaw “Whittlin’ Walt,” who just scalped and murdered P.K.’s second set of parents. The outlaws are after a silver mine deed, left to P.K. and worth millions. P.K., who is wily but has almost no emotional intelligence, slowly comes to understand that he can trust no one; he adopts various disguises and picks up some street smarts from a slew of equally lively characters, including substantial cameos from Samuel Clemens and others. Lawrence (the Roman Mysteries series) easily captures the chaos and tension of the Wild West, complete with gamblers, “Soiled Doves,” and plenty of slang (defined in a glossary) and gunfire. With cliffhangers ending most of the chapters, this agile story should keep readers’ attention from first page to last. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Twelve-year-old P.K. Pinkerton is on the run from ruthless (what else?) desperados in this delightfully down-and-dirty Western, the first in a series. Voiced by T. Sands, P.K. is a plucky and relatable tween who runs through disguises in an 1862 silver-mining town that is notable for its steep, muddy streets; bars; Chinese laundries; and opium dens. As she did in her Roman mystery series, Lawrence keeps the history gritty and real. Sands is a female reader who does justice to everyone from gruff outlaw Whittlin' Walt to a pre-Mark Twain Samuel Clemens, She even lends sympathy to P.K.'s frenemy, "Soiled Dove." Sands gives P.K. the humor, curiosity, and spunk to survive in a cutthroat world. This is a perfect marriage of narrator and book. M.M.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Text Difficulty:3-6

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