By Daniel Dockery (author) , Marco Guadalupi (illustrator)
"Set in the 1920s, one of the most unique, adventurous and ingeniously inventive Middle Grade characters of our times throws herself into a right royal Romanov mystery."
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May 2025 Book of the Month
It’s fair to say, I was utterly rapt by the whirlwind world of 1920s mystery and adventure presented in the first novel featuring the charismatic, courageous Wendington, and its follow-up, Wendington Jones and the Lost Legacy , is every bit as wittily funny, charming and driven by period adventure, thanks to its glamorous mix of grand masked balls, Russian revolutionaries, and a race against time across Europe to save a Romanov princess.
It opens with Wendington feeling rather restless after her last adventure, longing “to taste the mystery and thrill of that excitement again; to chase the unknown and fantastical”. Then, when it emerges that the mysterious man in her grandmamma’s garden is none other than Rasputin, the purportedly deceased Russian monk who was said to hold “almost hypnotic power over the Tsar’s wife, Empress Alexandra, and her children”, Wendington gets exactly what she longed for, albeit (perhaps) more than even she had bargained for!
Curiouser and curiouser, after a blazing start to her investigation, Wendington discovers her deceased mother had Romanov connections, right ahead of Grandmamma’s grand event for international dignitaries, “including some of the Russian leaders. The revolutionaries”.
And so, a fabulously thrilling quest to save a missing Tsarina unfolds, against a bigger backdrop of Wendington’s longer-term foes, The Dominos. Exquisitely plotted and packed with peril and period glamour, I can’t recommend this series more highly.
Wendington Jones, daughter, friend and adventurer, needed a mystery. Little did she know, she'd find one tending to the roses in the middle of a winter's night.
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But it was no strange gardener at her house, but instead the supposedly dead Russian monk - Rasputin - on the search for Anastasia Romanov, a young girl, who like Wendington had died under tragic circumstances.
And also much like Wendington, the young princess' death had not stuck.
And now she was on the run for her life - from history, from Rasputin and from others after her power to seemingly save herself from death.
Wendington and Rohan rush across Europe to give chase to the missing Tsarina. Hoping to save her from Rasputin and old foes of Wendington's too. The Dominos haven't fallen yet and they're willing to kill others to save themselves.
Horseraces, masked-balls and diplomatic nights at the opera set the scene where adventure clashes with high society, and it's not just the fashion that has a cutting edge.
Also available: Wendington Jones and The Missing Tree
Praise for Wendington Jones and the Missing Tree :
'A thrilling adventure - Downton Abbey meets Indiana Jones, with a touch of Tintin' - Thomas Taylor
'A heartwarming and heartbreaking adventure. . . a thrilling read from UCLan publishing, for adventurers young and old' - Maz Evans
'Wendington’s adventure is energetic and fun, packed full of bullets and swordfights, codes and conundrums, skulduggery, spying and sabotage' - Nicki Thornton
Daniel Dockery has written storylines and scripts for one of the UK's most popular tv series, Hollyoaks, including award winning stories about anorexia, young LGBT relationships and criminally exploited children. As well as working on Coronation Street's award winning 50th anniversary, he's developed and storied several feature films starring Robert De Niro, Dave Bautista and Olga Kurylenko.
He has also written theatre pieces, staged in Manchester schools where he has taught drama when not writing.
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Wendington Jones, daughter, friend and adventurer, needed a mystery. Little did she know, she'd find one tending to the roses in the middle of a winter's night. But it was no strange gardener at her house, but instead the supposedly dead Russian monk - Rasputin - on the search for Anastasia Romanov, a young girl, who like Wendington had died under tragic circumstances.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Wendington Jones and the Lost Legacy and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Wendington Jones and the Lost Legacy features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Adventure Stories, Historical Fiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
Wendington Jones and the Lost Legacy was written by Daniel Dockery and published by UCLan Publishing
Wendington Jones and the Lost Legacy has 332 pages
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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