Castle of Shadows by Ellen Renner * * * *

Charlie is an unusual princess - since her mother vanished one night 5 years ago, she's been left very much alone - her father has retreated into his own private world, the castle staff rarely pay her any attention. She has grown up to be an adventurous tomboy with the whole of the castle as her playground.

The chance finding of a letter written by her mother fills Charlie with an unstoppable need to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance.

Along the way she makes new friends and discovers the secrets of old ones.

This is a book filled with lots of excitement and many twists and turns of plot as Charlie and her new friend, Toby, try to uncover the truth. Charlie is a determined princess insistent on playing her part in unravelling the mystery, even when it may lead to danger. There are many thrilling, suspense-filled moments as the quest leads Charlie and Toby through underground tunnels or fleeing for their lives across the castle rooftops. A book that will appeal to girls with a liking for adventurous, action- packed reading.

One slight niggle with this book - the synopsis led me to somehow expect an adventure set in a more magical fairytale land - of weird and wonderful creatures maybe - rather than the not quite Victorian setting it has. This isn't something that detracts from the book but it just wasn't quite what I anticipated.