Book Review: Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost

Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost
Book #2 of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series

written by Iain Reading

246 pages, young adult fiction
published in 2013

My Review...

19-year-old Kitty Hawk, fan of Amelia Earhart, and fellow aviatrix, is at the starting line for a long journey. With a pilot's license in hand, and with her very own De Havilland Beaver seaplane, she can travel anywhere to satisfy her desire to see the world. What better way to do that than to follow the same trail that Amelia Earhart had mapped out decades before?

Before setting out across the wide expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, Kitty Hawk takes a rest stop in the lower Florida Keys. Her main plan is to visit Key West and then camp out for a few days at the Dry Tortugas National Park in Fort Jefferson, a coastal fortress. (I think it sounds like the ideal vacation.) Kitty experiences many amazing things in the area like visiting author Ernest Hemingway's house, taking a swim around Fort Jefferson, exploring the Dry Tortugas... and, of course... stumbling across a giant mystery brewing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Before you know it, our heroine is deeply intertwined in a sea of secrets, clues and riddles. She's always ready for action, even after midnight when it is too dark to see a thing. It must be terribly exciting to be like Kitty and have a plane ready at your disposal, for anytime you might need an escape plan, or to, you know, do something crazy like track down criminals.

To me, as a person fascinated with maritime history, this book made for a particularly amazing read; the reader gains so much knowledge about some of the famous shipwrecks in the Florida Keys. Not to give away much of the plot here, but one (yes, one) of the mysteries Kitty gets entangled in has to do with the rich history behind Fort Jefferson and the ships that might once have docked there. Combining American history with sunken treasure and some interesting Hemingway tidbits, Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost is a thrilling mystery novel.

NOTE to the discerning reader & parents: Some minor language is used throughout the book.

I love how detailed that Iain Reading is in writing his stories, as he combines history, fiction and adventure together as one.

One thing I know for sure, I've now been convinced that I need read some of Ernest Hemingway's books -- probably starting with The Old Man and The Sea.

Thanks to the author and Book Publicity Services for the free book.







P.S. See this review on Goodreads and Amazon.

About the Author:

 

Iain Reading is passionate about Root Beer, music, and writing. He is Canadian, but currently resides in the Netherlands working for the United Nations.

Iain has published 5 books in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series (Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold, Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost, Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue, Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic), and Kitty Hawk and the Mystery of the Masterpieces. For more information, go to http://www.kittyhawkworld.com/.

Iain is also the author of The Wizards of Waterfire Series. The first book in the series The Guild of the Wizards of Waterfire was published in April 2014. Also check out one of Iain's newest books, The Dragon of the Month Club, published December 2013.

Connect with Iain on Twitter and Goodreads.