The Volcano of Doom #1 (Paperback)

Not long after they arrive in Hawaii, Norbert tells them he must go out early in the morning to go shark fishing. Ricky's dad thinks this would be a great adventure for Mike and Ricky so he convinces Norbert to take the three of them along.

They venture out in the small boat long before the sun comes up. In the still darkness, Ricky starts doubting that shark-fishing is such a great idea - small boat, big sharks - until a shark bites. With the pull of his line, Ricky's adrenaline flows. He envisions how it will be at school when he shows everyone his necklace of shark teeth and tells them how he caught the beast.

Just when the shark is starting to calm down on the line, Mike falls overboard. Norbert cuts the line and Ricky watches as his prize disappears through the dark water. Norbert jumps in for Mike and they head back to shore.

Ricky can't believe Mike was so clumsy to fall off the boat and ruin his chance of catching the shark. Mike begs him to believe that he didn't fall, he was pushed.

Mike sets out to prove that Norbert pushed him overboard and in the process discovers some very unsettling things about Mr. Kidd's old friend.

There's something about a buoy carrying an antique statue that a white haired man picks up from Norbert's boat and then throws it in a dumpster. The dumpster is emptied before anyone realizes that Mike has the statue. Then, the real adventure begins.

Who are these people trying to get the statue? Why was it hidden in a buoy and thrown in a dumpster? how does Norbert fit into all of this? How will Ricky, Mike, and Lisa learn the truth?

"The Volcano of Doom" is the first book in the Accidental Detective series. Sigmund Brouwer does an excellent job of balancing danger and suspense for the young reader. Boys and girls will enjoy the action of "The Volcano of Doom."

I've been a fan of this series since it's initial release, and it's wonderful to have a new story staring the Accidental Detectives. I was a little startled by the additional of Rachel, Ricky's one-year-old sister. But once I got used to this new character, I felt back in the groove of the stories.

As is always the case with this series, the plot is truly mystifying. The characters are well established in Mr. Brouwer's mind, and it shows in how well developed they are in this book. The only one who wasn't quite up to par was Joel, but that's probably because he had a small part in the story.

Once again, this group of friends is playing jokes on each other and solving life-threatening cases. This is one of my favorite series, and it's great to see it back in print.