Mud, Blood and Motocross (Book 1)
Mick Wade
Mick Wade/YA, mystery, adventure
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Nick Bishop plans to dominate the motocross circuit this summer– only a drug heist and two unsolved murders stand in his way. All Nick wants to do is blaze on the trails and battle on th track, but his priorities change when his friend and mentor Billy Mackenzie is falsely accused of murder. Not trusting the local police, Nick and his friends take it upon themselves to find the real killer and prove Billy innocent.
I will be perfectly honest– the only reason I read this book was because the e-mail asking for a review contained the line “This book contains no vampires.” I had absolutely no interest in it, probably less than zero interest, but I appreciate a little unexpected humour, so I agreed to read it.
I cracked it open with trepidation, just hoping it could hold my interest long enough to create a brief review. As I turned the last page, I realized I was holding something very special in my hands. I truly believe that Mick Wade has the potential to be the next Franklin Dixon (excepting for the fact that Mick Wade is one man and Franklin Dixon was a pseudonym of several writers.)
This is a fabulous book for reluctant readers. The kids portrayed have just enough “all-American” appeal and silliness to make them seem like that kid that lives down the block. Although they are required to do a bit of sneaking about to solve the mysteries, overall the kids are respectful of the adults around them. There is some foul language that I think detracts from the story, but taken as a whole, this is a winner.
My verdict: Read it- but, with caution. In addition to the foul language mentioned above, there are numerous instances of misspelled words and/or incorrect usage. (I usually won’t even finish a book with such errors, so that should tell you how much I enjoyed the story.) I truly hope that Mick Wade is picked up by a publisher that will give his stories the treatment they deserve. There is a generation of reluctant readers that need his stories.
