Marko Kitti is the author of the fantastic Jesper Jinx series of books. We were first introduced to Delbert in book #5, Jesper Jinx and the Scrumptious Snacks, of the Jesper Jinx series (if you haven’t read them, why not?). Delbert is the younger cousin of the disastrous prankster Jesper and he is now back starring in his own story.
Delbert is 10 years old and lives on the south coast of England. He is still grieving for his beloved grandfather. Since the loss of the grandfather everything has been dull and boring. He prefers to block out the world by staying in his room. When his older brother’s girlfriend requests his help to take on a “mission” and rescue a missing cat called Pandora from an old house, he reluctantly agrees. He believes that being recruited as an “international spy” is just a prank that his brother is pulling.
Delbert only has 1 hour to complete his mission, but will he succeed? He should do as the mission is very straightforward, but everything is not as it seems!
Overall, The Reluctant Spy is a short children’s book that is written in an easy to understand way and one that children, 8 years +, will love.
Delbert is very reluctant to become a spy and it gets even worse when the girl next door, Evie, who has a big crush on him, becomes his sidekick. This fast-paced short story follows how Delbert is dealing with the death of his grandfather and is humorous, thrilling and even has a surprise twist to end the story.
Children will love Delbert. He is a typical boy that children can relate to and will enjoy following him on his mission and future missions in the series. All the characters are great, relatable and each have their own unique style and quirks that are very engaging.
Delbert is no James Bond and he really doesn’t want to be a spy. He takes on his mission and interprets things he finds as only a child’s imagination can, making it an exciting read for children. I see this being a perfect light and humorous, fun-filled, thrilling and exciting story for children. I can see this series being a big hit.
This is an action-packed, thrilling and humorous children’s spy thriller that will have children laughing out loud. Fun, entertaining and perfect for reluctant readers. Marko Kitti has a way of telling a story that will grab children’s attention and speak to them on their level.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £5.99 (Paperback / Kindle)
Available to buy from Amazon here.
