By Caroline Lawrence (author) Part of the The P.K. Pinkerton Mysteries series
Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19
View All Editions (1)
July 2012 Book of the Month. Fast, furious and funny, meet 12 year old P K Pinkerton who believes he can be a Wild West Private Eye and a good one too. With the help of his newly found friends in Virginia City he takes on the gunmen of the city to prove that he can become a detective. Caroline Lawrence, author of the hugely successful Roman Mysteries series knows exactly how to create an utterly entertaining mystery adventure in order to grip and thrill her readers.
Virginia City in 1862 is a mining camp sitting above a rich vein of silver in America's Wild West. It's a dangerous place, full of gamblers, cowboys, hurdy girls and gunmen - all of them on the make! When twelve year-old P.K.
Read the full description
Pinkerton arrives there, homeless, penniless and hunted, things don't look good. But P.K. soon finds allies in Sam Clemens, a newspaper reporter, Poker Face Jace, a gambler who can tell when someone is bluffing, and Ping, a Chinese photographer's apprentice. With the help of these friends - and armed with a Smith & Wesson seven-shooter and a knack for disguises - P.K. takes on the tricksters and desperados and tries to become a detective.
I Love, Love, LOVE it!!!! Pinky is a wonderful creation - authentic and lovable. It's exciting (I love all the cliffhangers) and funny and sometimes truly moving. Sophie McKenzie, author of Girl, Missing
Scalpings, six shooters, saloons and stage coaches. Clear your calendar because you'll want to read this in a single sitting! Robert Muchamore, author of the Cherub series
What we have here is a rip-roaring tale of the Wild West, with tons of credible local colour, a bunch of villains every bit as wicked as those to be found in Ancient Rome, and a likeable lead character... Original, intriguing, and a lot of fun, this book is well worth reading. THE BOOKBAG
Lawrence swaps Ancient Rome for the whip-cracking Wild West in a new historical series. The Western Mysteries is set in an 1860s mining camp, which sees 12-year-old P K Pinkerton determined to outwit the outlaws and become a detective. The Roman Mysteries have an outstanding track record. THE BOOKSELLER
We were only saying the other day that it is about time the Wild West came back into literary fashion, and blow me, ace historian and writer, Lawrence, inspired by the brilliant grown-up telly series Deadwood fires off the first of the PK Pinkerton mysteries, featuring a short gunslinger with a long list of disguises. -- Bookseller Crow FAMILIES SOUTH EAST
I enjoyed this rip-roaring, yee-hah adventure and I particularly liked the characters... I really liked this book! -- Delilah Ferry-Swainson, age 11 FIRST NEWS
I felt like I had stepped instantly back into Virginia City, right into the middle of a gun fight. I could almost hear the gun shots... this book is extremely detailed and keeps you on your toes the whole way through. The chapters are short, sharp and each one is finished off with an excellent cliff-hanger. All the characters come alive... SERENDIPITY BLOG
A gripping yarn, ideally suited for boys or girls aged 9+ WE LOVE THIS BOOK
Pinky is one of the most engaging heroes I have come across. TELEGRAPH
... a fast, funny adventure that cracks along as smartly as a cowboy's whip -- Amanda Craig THE TIMES
...vivid, alive and detailed... the book is full of humour... This book is quirkily different, fast-paced and great fun and I recommend it. THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN
The story moves along at a pace, is very exciting and is full of twists and turns BOOKS FOR KEEPS
the action hurtles along at break-neck speed... It's fast, action-packed NATE CLASSROOM
Recreating life in the 'Wild West during the time of the American Civil War, this series is all set to be another triumph! GOOD BOOK GUIDE
Featuring real historical characters, as well as convincingly portrayed fictional ones, you get the feeling that Lawrence had a whale of a time immersing herself in the lore and ephemera of the era. Her enjoyment leaves you exilherated and throroughly entertained. CAROUSEL
I really enjoyed this rip-roaring, yee-hah adventure. I really liked this book! -- Delilah Ferry-Swainston FIRST NEWS
I have a great fondness for first person narrative and for books with a really clear and unusual voice, so I was hooked o this story from the first page! ... I can't wait to see what PK does next. FANTASTIC READS
Caroline Lawrence was our Guest Editor in September 2102 - Click here to see her selections.
Caroline Lawrence was born in London. Her American parents returned to the United States shortly afterwards and she grew up in Bakersfield, California with her younger brother and sister. Her father taught English and drama in a local high school and her mother was an artist. When she was twelve, Caroline's family moved to Stanford University in northern California so that her father could study Linguistics. Caroline inherited her father's love of words and her mother's love of art. She subsequently studied Classics at Berkeley, where she won a Marshall Scholarship to Cambridge. There, at Newnham College, she studied Classical Art and Archaeology.
The books in the series are: The Thieves of Ostia The Secrets of Vesuvius The Pirates of Pompeii The Assassins of Rome The Dolphins of Laurentum The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina The Enemies of Jupiter The Gladiators from Capua The Colossus of Rhodes The Fugitive from Corinth The Sirens of Surrentum The Charioteer of Delphi The Slave Girl from Jerusalem The Beggar of Volubilis The Scribes from Alexandria The Prophet from Ephesus And finally… The Man from Pomegranate Street
THE ROMAN MYSTERIES have sold over 1.1 million copies since its introduction in 2001 and in 2009 won the Classical Association Prize for 'a significant contribution to the public understanding of Classics' THE ROMAN MYSTERIES has been recognised as having an exemplary combination of entertainment and education.
the best books for 9-12 year olds
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The Prisoner of Bhopal
Virginia City in 1862 is a mining camp sitting above a rich vein of silver in America's Wild West. It's a dangerous place, full of gamblers, cowboys, hurdy girls and gunmen - all of them on the make!
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Case of the Deadly Desperados and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
The Case of the Deadly Desperados features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Historical Fiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Recommended Children's eBooks, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
The Case of the Deadly Desperados was written by Caroline Lawrence and published by Orion Children's Books (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd ) an imprint of Orion Publishing Co
The Case of the Deadly Desperados has 269 pages
Yes it is part of The P.K. Pinkerton Mysteries series
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
©PTC International Ltd T/A LoveReading is registered in England. Company number: 10193437. VAT number: 270 4538 09. Registered address: 157 Shooters Hill, London, SE18 3HP. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer
The National Year of Reading starts here. Join thousands of families and schools supporting reading for pleasure across the UK.