Synopsis: Glory Goldenleaf, top spy mouse, has jetted into London to meet with the head of MICE-6. Meanwhile, dastardly rat burglar Goldwhiskers is plotting the biggest jewel robbery in history. Travelling in the heel of Oz’s shoe- a human boy whose hero is James Bond - Glory arrives in London, only to get caught up in another rat plot. This time it’s Goldwhiskers, a fierce, powerful rat with big ambitions. Can Glory catch Goldwhiskers before he snatches the jewels?

Review: Pitching mice against rats, with their own secret worlds of spy agencies is a lively and fun idea, proving why this is now the third book in the Spy Mice series. However such a straight-forward plot is over complicated by so many characters, much of whom don’t directly move the story forward. Dupont is back and up to his old tricks, but with the addition of Goldwhiskers and his crew there are many characters and scenes to follow, leaving the reader more detached from Glory and Oz. These are also very humanised mice, who wear aprons and mittens, have furniture, umbrellas, regal portraits in their homes and painted rooms. It comes across as a bit of a lazy device, as more imagination could go into making the mice different from humans.

The novel has plenty of references to James Bond, and should appeal to a younger readership not quite ready for the older Young Bond espionage series. Glory is a sweet and resourceful heroine and Oz a unlikely hero. Adam Stower’s illustrations are fun and help to define the evil rats from the brave mice.

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2007-03-02